It Ends Tonight
by xXThe.Black.Parade.Is.DeadXx
Summary: Nightwing is fatally injured and there's no way to save him. The team says goodbye to their leader, friend, and brother. Inspired by "It Ends Tonight" by the All-American Rejects. Chapter 11 (Alternate Ending)- "Rob, you know I wouldn't leave you… at least, not willingly. They'd have to take me away kicking and screaming in order for that to happen."
1. The End Doesn't Justify the Means

**A/N: Originally, I was going to start on _Dick Grayson Versus The World_, but I suddenly realized that I was in the mood for character death... so... yeah.**

**Anyway, this is a multi-chaptered fic dedicated to _It Ends Tonight_ by the All-American Rejects. Takes place after the Light's taken out, blah, blah.**

**Oh, I don't own YJ or the All-American Rejects. Just the story, friends.**

* * *

**Introduction- The End [Doesn't] Justify the Means**

_**Your subtleties  
They strangle me  
I can't explain myself at all.**_

* * *

To say the least, the team's trust in Nightwing has been shaken. He had sacrificed so much, kept so many secrets from the team, and fooled them into thinking they had lost comrades to take out the Light. M'gann had destroyed Kaldur's mind, and even though she repaired it, there were still cracks in his psyche. They succeeded in taking out the Light, thanks to the intel Kaldur and Artemis gathered, but at what cost?

In this case, the end didn't justify the means.

They decided against stripping him of his leadership position, even after the former boy wonder offered it to Superboy. While they didn't have the same trust they had before this happened, he was honestly the only one that was qualified. Sure, Superboy could've done it, but he still has trouble controlling his anger. That much was evident when Superboy almost broke Nightwing's arm (even though, Nightwing admitted, he deserved) and it took six leaguers to pin him down.

The only members of the team that didn't seem to hate his guts were Gar, Bart, Tim, and Jamie. Bart had somehow explained to them that what he did was necessary for the future, saying something about some group called the Titans. Gar, seeing how he had been a fan of Nightwing since he was known as Robin, didn't seem to care that what his hero/kinda-sorta big brother did, since his actions saved the world. Jamie, seeing how defeating the Light and the Reach seemed to lift the dark cloud on his past, could've done the same thing if he wanted to. Tim knew that the whole hero gig only stressed out his brother, and knew that if there were another way, Nightwing would've done it. Hell, he probably would've faked his own death and take out the Light from the inside if it were possible.

Nightwing took all of the blame. Artemis and Kaldur had tried to take some of it, but Nightwing refused to allow it. He didn't even need to convince Wally that it was his fault, as Wally had been saying it all along.

And you know what? He's right. In Nightwing's opinion, he's completely and totally right about it.

* * *

"We suspect that Vandal Savage is trying to reunite the Light." Captain Atom said, "You all will go in and take him down."

The team, along with Zatanna and Black Lightning, stood in the Watchtower, waiting for Captain Atom to finish giving their mission.

"This is a very serious, high-risk mission. One little slip could get you seriously injured… or worse."

The team froze at those words. The last time they had such an important mission, they lost the second Robin.

"This is why we're sending Zatanna and Black Lightning with you. If anything goes wrong, contact the League immediately." Captain Atom finished.

As the team and the two Leaguers boarded the Bioship, Nightwing got a sick feeling in his gut. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he sure didn't like it.

* * *

Nightwing dodged the stone spear that Vandal Savage had thrust at him. It grazed his arm, eliciting a small hiss from the nineteen-year-old.

His teammates were either knocked unconscious, getting said unconscious teammates somewhere safe, or taking out the goons.

"You've been nothing but a thorn in my side since day one, Boy Wonder." Vandal said. Once again, Nightwing barely dodges the spear being thrust at him.

"So I've been told." Nightwing says, "Jeez, do all you villains just exchange quips and stuff? I think I've heard that from Ra's and Joker many times before."

Vandal blocks a kick to the face. "It would be wise to not take such a tone with me, child."

Nightwing hisses again as the spear grazes his cheek. "Again, heard that one before."

_Nightwing! We're down to you, Zatanna, Superboy, and me. The rest of the team is either completely out of it or treating the wounded._

_Right… Miss Martian, get Superboy over here. You and Zatanna help the others._

_Alright. Superboy should be there in three minutes._

Nightwing lands a punch to Vandal's gut, causing the wind to be knocked from the much larger male. Nightwing kicks the man in the face, knocking him back.

Nightwing hears Superboy coming. He looks over to the clone for a second before turning back to Vandal Savage…

…Moments later, a stone spear is shoved through his chest, straight through the middle of the cobalt bird on his chest.

Superboy arrives in time to catch the former boy wonder before he falls to the ground. Blood pours from the wound, staining the ground and the spear sticking out of his chest.

_M'gann! We have a problem! Get the bioship here fast!_

Superboy grabs the spear. "Okay, this is going to hurt a lot." He doesn't wait for a response as he tugs it out as gently as he possibly can. Nightwing lets out an inhuman growl as it's removed. The pain was unbearable, that much was obvious.

"Don't die on me, Nightwing." Superboy says as he puts pressure on the wound. He ignores the groan of pain he receives in return.

"N-n…no pro-promises." Nightwing says.

"Don't talk. They're coming."

Sure enough, the Bioship landed just outside the building. M'gann floated in with Zatanna on her heels.

"Oh my god!" M'gann shrieked. The sight was just too much for her.

Zatanna ran to Nightwing and Superboy. "M'gann, get a medical table set up in there and call the League."

The Martian nodded, not wasting a second.

"Pots eht gnideelb!" Zatanna says. The spell has no effect. Zatanna lets out a frustrated growl. "Pots eht gnideelb! Pots eht gnideelb!"

"Zatanna, it's not going to work." Superboy said.

_The medical table's set up. I've just called the League, and they're getting Doctor Mid-Nite._

_Alright. I'm coming with Nightwing._

Superboy lifts Nightwing up, still managing to keep pressure on the wounds. Nightwing cries out in pain and Superboy, despite being pissed at him, tries to ignore it.

Once they were in the Bioship, Superboy sets Nightwing down on the medical table and goes back to putting pressure on the leader's wound.

"God, what happened to him?" Robin asked.

"Vandal… he… he stabbed him with his spear." Superboy said. He turned his attention to M'gann. "Miss Martian, how far are we from the nearest Zeta tube?"

"About two minutes by Bioship." She replied, "Will he be able to hold on that long?"

"Y…yeah. Yeah." Nightwing managed to say before Zatanna shushed him.

"Nightwing, don't talk, okay? Save your strength." She said.

Batgirl glanced over at Miss Martian. "You can heal him, right?"

"Yes. I'll reconfigure the Bioship. Batgirl, can you take the helm?"

Batgirl nodded and M'gann reconfigured the Bioship before making her way to Nightwing.

"I can at least stop the bleeding." She said, "I'm not that advanced with my healing, but it'll help." Superboy removed his hands from Nightwing's wound so M'gann could do her stuff.

"Approaching Zeta tube." Batgirl said.

"Okay," Superboy said, "When M'gann finishes with Nightwing, Kaldur, Robin, Batgirl, Zatanna, Black Lightning and I will head to the Watchtower. M'gann, you and the others will go take the Bioship back to Bludhaven and then Zeta to the Watchtower. We'll contact Artemis and Wally."

M'gann nodded. "I'm done. It'll buy us some time."

Superboy once again lifted Nightwing in his arms as he, Kaldur, Robin, Batgirl, Zatanna, and Black Lightning left the Bioship. As they walked into the Zeta tube they heard the _whoosh_ of the Bioship as it took off into the air.

* * *

**Recognized- Nightwing B01, Superboy B04, Aqualad B02, Robin B20, Batgirl B16, Zatanna Zatara 25, Black Lightning 27***

The first thing they see when they enter the Watchtower is Doctor Mid-Nite with a gurney. Superboy sets Nightwing down on the gurney and Doctor Mid-Nite wheels him away. Superboy starts to follow, but is stopped by Black Canary.

"I'm sorry, Conner, but you can't go." She says, sympathy evident in his voice.

"But-"

"No buts, Conner. Just be patient. Nightwing's in good hands. He'll be fine."

Conner was just about to argue, but he decided against it. "Fine." He turned to the other team members. "I'm going to call Artemis and Wally. They need to know about this."

**Recognized- Miss Martian B05, Bumblebee B17, Lagoon Boy B18, Beast Boy B19, Wonder Girl B21, Blue Beetle B22, Impulse B23**

"I see that the entire team's here." Black Canary said, "Okay, guys, Nightwing's in surgery now. We're not sure what'll happen… but Doctor Mid-Nite's the best. If anyone can save Nightwing, it's him."

"In the meantime," Black Lightning said, "Get some rest. The League will take over this mission."

* * *

_**And all the wants  
And all the needs  
All I don't want to need at all.**_

* * *

**A/N: Ugh, terrible place to end a chapter... I swear to the great and powerful pickle god I'll make it up to you!**

***Black Lightning doesn't have a known designation. Actually, it's not mentioned if he's in the League.**


	2. The Best Is Not Always Good Enough

**A/N: Before anyone reads this chapter, just want to say sorry about my medical i****naccuracy in chapter 1. (lol not a doctor for a reason, friends) I kinda sorta maybe corrected it in chapter two...**

******Oh, one more thing...**

******THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUSOMU CHFORTHEMANYMANYFAVESANDFOLL OWS. I don't think my inbox has EVER had 40+ e-mails about faves and follows for ANY of my stories EVER. Just for that, you guys can expect faster updates on this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 2- The Best Is [Not] Always Good Enough**

_**The walls start breathing  
My mind's unweaving  
Maybe it's best you leave me alone.**_

* * *

Artemis was in the middle of making dinner when the phone rang. She picked it up, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Hello? Oh, hey Conner."

Wally, who was sitting on the couch, looks over at her.

"What?! Conner, what happened?" Artemis asked, "Oh my god… is he okay? I'll be there, but… I can't say the same for Wally. I know, I'll try. Bye."

Wally ran over to her. "What's up?"

"Wally, it's Nightwing-"

"Ugh, him again? I swear, I thought we were done with him!"

"Wally-"

"I almost lost you because of him! God, if he wants you and me to participate in another scheme-"

"WALLY, HE'S DYING!"

Wally stops his rant to look at his girlfriend. The look on his face would've been comical if it were any other reason. In disbelief, he asks, "What?"

"Wally, Nightwing is dying. The team… they went on a mission, and something went wrong. Superboy didn't give me many details other than that, but we should be there for him… or, at least, I'll be there."

Wally didn't answer. He was in shock.

"Wally?" Artemis asked.

"Oh my god…" he whispered, "He's… he's dying."

"Wally, I know that you guys haven't really been seeing eye to eye lately, but… when you needed him, he'd be there. So," Artemis sits next to him and places a hand on his shoulder, "I think you should be there for him now that he needs you. Other than the Flash and Doctor Mid-Nite, you have more knowledge on medical stuff than anyone else in the League and Team. You might be able to save him."

Wally nodded, "Yeah. Yeah, I think I can help."

"C'mon, we have to go now."

* * *

**Recognized- Kid Flash B03, Artemis B07**

The first thing they see when Artemis and Wally enter the Watchtower is the team all in varying states of shock, their anger towards their leader replaced with worry and even a little bit of hopelessness. Batgirl was pacing in front of the hallway leading to the Medlab. Kaldur was meditating, trying to remain calm, even though on the inside he was breaking down. Zatanna was holding a crying Robin in her arms, trying desperately not to cry herself. Gar, Bart, and Jamie were talking to each other in a corner, finding a way to distract them from their current grief. Cassie, Karen, and Mal were trying to do the same, but Cassie finally broke down and Karen was trying to calm her down. Karen had told Mal something, which he nodded to and walked away in response. La'gann and M'gann were nowhere in sight, which meant that M'gann had probably left to cook and La'gann followed her to comfort her. Conner also wasn't in the room, so Wally assumed he went to the training room to cause about a billion dollars' worth of damage towards some very expensive training androids.

Wally sprinted from where he stood and was in front of Zatanna in a matter of nanoseconds. Artemis had somehow managed to keep up and was there only a few seconds after him.

"What happened, Zee?" Wally asked, "Conner didn't really tell us much."

Zatanna let out a shaky breath. "The League suspected that Vandal Savage was trying to reform the Light. They sent the entire team as well as Black Lightning and me to stop the reformation. Vandal seemed to know we were coming, as he immediately sent his freakish goons to attack. Nightwing was left to fight Vandal, and the team was slowly being taken out. Nightwing needed backup, and just when Superboy and I had arrived, he had stabbed Nightwing with his spear."

Wally could see Zatanna's grip on Robin tighten slightly.

"We don't… we don't know if he's going to pull through this one or not. When Superboy removed the spear, it made the bleeding worse, but Miss Martian managed to stop it. We can only hope that Doctor Mid-Nite can save him."

"He will, Zee. Doctor Mid-Nite's one of the best, and Nightwing's strong." Artemis said.

"Artemis, sometimes the best just isn't good enough. And what if he doesn't pull through? The things we've said… the things **I've **said… those will be the last words from us he heard. Those aren't the words I want him to remember in the afterlife." Zatanna said.

Doctor Mid-Nite walks into the room. "I've finished the surgery, but I'll give you the results once everyone is here."

* * *

Once the entire team and the members of the League that were currently at the Watchtower were in the room, Doctor Mid-Nite spoke again.

"The surgery was mostly successful. I say 'mostly' because, though I've fixed the problem, his chances of living are still very slim. If I must put a number on it, he has about a ten percent chance of living. So, I suggest you say what you have to say to him now, as it might be the last time you can speak to him."

Doctor Mid-Nite left, knowing there was nothing else he could say.

Cassie, who was just starting to regain her composure, broke down once again, crying harder than before. Karen once again tried to calm her down, but she was having a hard time doing so, as she was starting to cry, too. Mal, to say the least, was in shock, too much so to even cry. Kaldur had the same look on his face as the one when he lost Tula. Tears threatened to spill over, and the mixture of shock and disbelief was evident on his face. Gar went to comfort M'gann, who, much like Cassie, broke down right then and there. Bart simply looked at the ground, eyes wide. He was muttering something that wasn't very intelligible, even to Conner, and Jamie tried to get him to snap out of it. La'gann had joined Gar in trying to calm M'gann down. Conner had this look somewhere between wanting to punch something and complete hurt, (the same face he had when he and M'gann broke up) which surprised nobody. Robin's crying increased seemingly unnoticeably, causing Zatanna to hold Robin closer and bury her face into his hair. She, too, was crying.

Wally looked to Artemis, and faster that he thought possible, Artemis had her arms around him, crying. Now, everything Wally had said to Dick, both to his face and behind his back, came back to him, and now he was regretting it all. Oh, what he'd give to go back to when the team was first formed, to goof off with Dick. But those days ended when he left the team with Artemis, when he left the life behind. What he'd give to be able to take back the words he said. Only now is he realizing that, if Dick had another choice, he would've gone with it. But now, not only is he losing his best friend (if he still has the right to call him that), he doesn't have much of a chance to apologize.

Zatanna was right. Sometimes the best just isn't always good enough.

* * *

_**A weight is lifted  
On this evening  
I give the final blow.**_

* * *

**A/N: ohmygodi'msoterrible.**


	3. I Will Not Always be There for You

**A/N: So much love... OHMAHGAWD,ILOVEYOUALLSOMUCH!**

**So, I recieved and idea from Lakeshine about having an alternate ending, and I decided that there will be one. So, if I kill Nightwing, there'll be an alternate, and if he lives, there will be an alternate. So, either way, there's an alternate ending. (Hey, I DID say I wanted some character death.)**

* * *

**Chapter 3- I Will [Not] Always be There for You **

_**When darkness turns to light,  
It ends tonight**_

* * *

Everyone agreed that Wally should be the first to say what he had to say to Nightwing. It made sense, since he was his best friend. Plus, everyone knew that Wally and Nightwing, especially the past year, haven't really been seeing eye to eye. Things were said, feelings were hurt, and there was regret evident on both sides.

Wally walked in to the Medlab, and to say the least, what he saw was shocking. Nightwing had a tube down his throat and in his nose, wires on his body monitoring his breathing and heart rate, two I.V.s, one of which had a blood bag on it, and gauze covering his upper torso.

Wally's seen Dick in pretty bad condition, but never like this.

"Hey, Dick." Wally said. It didn't really do much to break the silence, and the fact that he knew the younger wouldn't answer bothered him still.

"I, um… God, I've got so much to say and so little time," Wally sighed, "I guess I should just start with this… you remember back when you asked if I was going to tie the knot with Artemis? Y'know, after Jason had died and we left the team… I remember you'd come by and visit a lot. I guess it was because Jason died, and you really needed a friend. Anyway, you asked once and I almost choked on my coffee when you said it- I remember being glad Artemis wasn't in the room, because honestly, it was extremely humiliating. I said I wasn't sure if I'd marry her. Frankly, I didn't think we'd even be together that long."

Wally pulled something out of his pocket. It was a picture of him and Artemis shortly after they began dating.

"I asked her… y'know, to marry me. And she said yes. That was about a week ago. While we were planning the wedding, she asked me who my best man was going to be. I was obviously still pretty ticked at you for involving her in your scheme, but I didn't say what you'd think I said… at least, no out loud. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that, **when** you get out of this alive, and **when** you're back up on your feet, I want you to be my best man."

Wally put the photo back in his pocket.

"That's not all I have to get off my chest, dude. I have to say that I'm sorry. About everything, not just what I've said the past year. I'm sorry about making such a big deal about Artemis when you're the one that was almost killed when Mount Justice was decimated. I'm sorry for all the times I stood you up to hang out with Artemis, especially on those days you really needed me. I'm sorry for being such an ass over everything, especially when you were trying so hard to balance the Team, the League, Gotham, Bludhaven, the Police Academy, and just about everything else while dealing with all of your emotional problems. And most of all, I'm sorry for never being there for you."

With that, Wally left, hoping that Dick heard what he had said to him.

* * *

"I don't think I've ever seen you like this, Dick. I mean, you've been through some pretty scathing ordeals, but this is probably the worst."

Artemis tried to stay calm as she talked to the unconscious teen. The last thing she wanted to do was completely and totally break down.

"I know that telling you that you'll be okay and that you'll live won't do much. We all know that it isn't okay, that your chances of living are only ten percent, and that if I did say such a thing, it would just be to cheer myself up."

Had anyone else been in the room, they'd probably say the exact opposite. Really, though, it was the truth.

"I sure Wally's convinced that you'll make it out of this. Every time something like this happened, he'd refuse to leave your side. Everything, even his freakin' metabolism, was put on the back burner until he knew you'd be okay. I'm sure this time won't be any different, even if you guys haven't really been the best of friends that you were when the team was formed."

Artemis sighed.

"You're like a little brother to me, Dick… even though you're not really that little anymore. Heh, I remember back when you were short and scrawny, and you'd disappear and reappear with that creepy little cackle of yours. Man, we had it made back then. Things were so simple and we didn't have the weight of the world on our shoulders. I guess that's why Wally and I left… but, I have to admit that I missed it. The adrenaline rush that came with being a hero, and that feeling you get when you see some little kid smile when you save them or their parents. I guess that's why I agreed to help you out."

Artemis sniffles. She knew this was gonna be hard, but damn…

"Don't just die, okay? Stay strong… at least until everyone's had a chance to say what they need to say. The entire team has something to say to you, and if you just die before they have the chance, they'll grieve more than they did when we lost Tula, Ted, and Jason, and I know you don't want that. And I'll… I'll try my best to stay traught, okay?"

* * *

"I know that I could just communicate telepathically and actually be able to talk to you, but I don't want to do that. I could just make it worse."

M'gann's voice shook with sadness. Gar had volunteered to go in with her, but she declined his offer. She had to do this, even if she was going to break down.

"You've been there since I became a member of the team. You know more about being a hero than the rest of the team. You've been there for everyone. You're willing to listen to everyone and you try your hardest to keep the team together, which we all respect. But, honestly, we were hurt when you didn't tell us that Artemis was alive. I can understand the younger members, but Conner and I? I'm sure you had your reasons, and I could find out, but since that encounter with Kaldur, I don't think I could do that without killing you."

M'gann wiped away a few tears and took in a deep breath. She had to keep going. She had to talk to him while she still had the chance.

"I've been doing that to other people, Psymon, the Kroloteans, and anyone that got in our way. I got the information for the team, but at a cost. Before Conner broke up with me, I even tried to make him forget why he was mad at me, but it didn't work… and now… now… now I can't even trust myself with the team."

M'gann choked out a sob.

"Don't you dare give up on us. We need you. This team needs you. The last thing we need is another death in the family. What would Batman say if he knew you died? When the second Robin died, Batman nearly went on a rampage of sorts. If he loses another partner, he'll do something he'll regret. And Zatanna, she'd never forgive herself if you died. She's already blaming herself for not being there to back you up or heal you. Just… please, don't die."

* * *

"If I just moved faster, maybe this wouldn't be happening."

Conner resisted the nearly overpowering urge to punch something. It might make matters worse.

"Okay, I was annoyed about the fact that you were hiding such a thing from the team. I mean, come on, we've known each other for years. So, I didn't move as fast as I could have. By the time I arrives, Vandal was on the ground, so I thought you had handled it, but then he stabbed you and ran for it so quickly I barley had the chance to process what had just happen. I could've, no, I **should've** been there, but, as always, my anger took control. And… and I'm sorry. I know it's not going to get you out of this positing you're in, but I'm sorry."

The boy of steel took a deep breath, a trick Black Canary taught him when the team first started out.

"I know that, right now, you may or may not be able to hear me. If you can, great, I'll feel just a little less guilty. But, if not… I guess I'll feel worse than I already do. God, if I had the chance to go back before the invasion, before M'gann and I broke up, before you stopped being so immature and open, I'd change whatever happened then that led up to now. Maybe if, on the day you, Wally, and Kaldur liberated me, we could've done something different that would've made the Light less powerful. Maybe we could've prevented them from creating Starro tech in the first place and could've prevented the invasion. You wouldn't have made such decisions; we'd probably still have Tula and Ted with us. Although, I doubt we would've changed a thing about the second Robin and his death. He was a bit reckless and would've likely gotten himself killed regardless of what happened that day."

Conner stood up to leave.

"I know you're not exactly feeling the aster now… but it would be disastrous if you die, heavy on the _dis._"

* * *

_**It ends tonight**_

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, that's... that's pretty much going to happen for a few more chapters...**

**Ugh, choosing the title for this chapter was a pain. I decided on this title "I Will [Not] Always be There for You" mostly because of Wally... so, if you squint and tilt your head to the left, you could kinda see some bromance there.**

**Also: What was Bats feeding his little Robin between 2011 to 2016? ROBIN WAS A SCRAWNY BOY, AND NOW LOOK AT HIM!**


	4. Don't Leave Me Alone

**A/N: Another chapter, guys!**

* * *

**Chapter 4- [Don't] Leave Me Alone**

_**A falling star  
Least I fall alone.  
I can't explain what you can't explain.**_

* * *

"I can't believe this is happening. First my mom, then my dad, and now I'm losing my ex-boyfriend. I just… I don't know what to do."

Zatanna's voice shook slightly as she spoke. When Conner left the Medlab and told her that it was her turn, she had to leave Robin, but Conner was willing to take him for a little while.

"Dick… I don't think I've ever seen Robin like this. I mean, you two are really close, aren't you? You're more of an older brother towards him than anyone else on the team. Conner's with him now, but I don't think he'll ever recover from this if you… if you die."

Zatanna wanted nothing more than to cast a spell and make him better, but she knew it wouldn't do a thing.

"I've said things that I regret now. I'm glad I'll have the chance to make up for it, but it's just not good enough. I was just angry at the fact that you used my glamour charm for something other than you said it was to be used for… er, partially. I felt used, but I know now that what you did was one of the only options you had. And I'm sorry for everything I said. I'm sorry for bringing Jason into that argument… that just wasn't right. I can't help but feel guilty that I may have had a part in that."

The fight she had with Dick played through her head once again. Seeing it again only caused her to feel even more guilt.

"I want you to know that I still love you. I know we broke up, and we were still good friends, but I can't help but feel that we could've had something special, like with Artemis and Wally. I don't know if you feel that same way… it's kinda hard to tell when you're flirting with me or Rocket or any other girl. I don't know if you're just playing around or, in your own crazy way, are trying to say you love me, too."

Zatanna stood up and brushed his bangs out of his masked eyes. She placed a kiss on his forehead and left the room.

* * *

"Bruce is going to go on a rampage if you don't make it through this. As soon as he hears about this, he's gonna go after Vandal."

Tim was trying his hardest to keep his voice steady. It was hard, saying goodbye to his older brother.

"I know this kind of thing comes with the job. You and Bruce stressed it enough to make sure I'd never make the same mistake that… he made. Every time we see each other could be the last, so we try to make the most of it. But this shouldn't have happened. You shouldn't be in this mess, and we shouldn't be talking like this. We shouldn't be thinking that you'll die, but… I can't help but think that this is it. I don't want to think this way, but I am anyway."

Robin sighed.

"I've never really had anyone who had as much confidence in me than you. I mean, mom and dad were never really there for me, so I don't really know much about how they felt towards me. Hell, I don't even know if they cared much. Even Batman didn't really have much confidence in me- not that I blame him, after what happened to the second Robin. But you were there, willing to work with me, and pushing me to try to lead. I'm not that confident, that much is evident, but it's thanks to you I know I can lead if I had to. I just wish that you'd be alive to see it."

Robin didn't bother to wipe the tears that were starting to cascade down his cheeks.

"So… just don't die. You're one of the few people I still have here, the only one that knows what I'm going through. Please don't leave me… you promised."

* * *

"I did not think this day would come, friend."

Kaldur could not bear to look at his dying friend. It was simply too much to tolerate.

"Even when you were young and somewhat foolish, you were always so strong, Nightwing. You were meant to be the leader of this team, and though I agree that there are some members that would make a great leader, it will not be the same without you."

Kaldur looked over to the teen and resisted the urge to look away.

"I trusted you with my life- I am sure everyone did. That is why I went along with your scheme. I know you did not mean for some of what occurred to happen, but we always expected obstacles. I do not blame you or anyone else for what did happen. It was inevitable. But this… this could have been avoided, and I know everyone else is aware of this. I cannot help feeling responsible for this, and I know you would likely think otherwise. Perhaps, had it been someone else we were against, it could have been prevented, but this is Vandal Savage we are talking about. He is always so far ahead of us, and without a contingency plan to fall back on, we do not have much of a chance."

Kaldur was silent for a moment, thinking about what he needed to say.

"I have lost friends in the past and they still are here, in my mind and heart. I remember everything about them, especially the ones that had a great impact on my life, like… like Tula. I believe that you, too, are one of them… but this does not offer the least bit of solace. Do not give up on us, Nightwing. I do not think the team can deal with such a loss."

* * *

"So, you've done it again, Grayson. Way to get yourself in deep shit."

Barbara's tone didn't match the look on her face. The fact that she was using such a sarcastic tone would probably shock many that weren't that close to her.

"I know, I know, I sound really cynical right now, don't I? Well, you know me. If I'm not cynical in times like this, I'll start bawling, and honestly, I'd rather not do that now, okay? You know how it is.

"I missed the times when we were at Gotham Academy. Remember, we'd goof off and make fun of the teachers we despised. Remember old whatsername and how she absolutely hated it when you'd butcher the English language? I remember you'd say something with the word aster or chalant or re-nial every other sentence and she'd get so angry. God, it was hilarious. I still have the video on Tumblr."

The small smile that Barbara had that came with the memory melted away and was replaced with a small frown.

"To think, I won't hear you using your un-words again. Well, I'll hear them, but it just won't be the same… you get the idea. And I won't be able to tease you about how much your voice sounds like Jessie McCartney when you sing. Y'know, now that I think about it, saying this makes me sound like a jerk… oh, well…"

Barbara wiped a few tears from her eyes.

"I just wish there was something I could've done. Tch, some best-friend-who-is-also-a-girl I turned out to be. I'm willing to bet that I could've done something that I didn't think of right then and there. I am pretty good at that, aren't I? Just screwing up and then realizing there was something I could do. Listen… I know that you've heard this, and you're probably getting tired of it, but please stay with us. If you give up on us, I'll never forgive you for it… but we'll probably still be best friends, anyway."

* * *

"I never thought I'd see the day when Nightwing of all people would be dying… I was hoping that it wouldn't happen, especially since you still have your whole life ahead of you."

Karen wiped at the tears that remained on her face from earlier. She was calm on the surface, but not so much on the inside.

"This isn't fair. You haven't even had that many relationships, you haven't had a chance to settle down with someone, have a family. It's unfair, isn't it? And, from what I've heard from Wally, you've lost family... both by blood and on this team. Now, we're losing you… haven't we had enough loss as it is?"

Karen paused, thinking about what she should say very carefully.

"I don't know you very well. We weren't close, is all. I never really cared that much about getting close, though, mostly because I'm still so fascinated by what Professor Palmer is teaching me to do. But, if I had the chance, I'd want to get to know you a little better than I do now… and from the looks of things, it might not happen."

She sniffled. Her eyes started to burn, so she decided she should end this quickly.

"We all love you, and we hope you know that. Yeah, we were angry, but we now see that you have a good reason for what you did. I'm sure that there was another way, but maybe it would've been riskier than what you actually did. If you're going die… at least give us the chance to talk to you- and I mean actually talk to you, not like what we're doing now."

Karen left the room before she started to cry once again.

* * *

_**You're finding things that you didn't know  
I look at you with such disdain**_

* * *

**A/N: I was going to end the chapter with Barbara, but decided it wasn't good enough, so I started on Gar. Then, I erased Gar and did Karen because I couldn't get into character (wow, you'd think that after nearly a year of theatre arts, I'd be able to do that...). Then, I STILL couldn't get into character, so I watched YJ, STILL couldn't get into character, and finally just gave up and tried the best I could. So, if Karen seems a little OOC, sorry about that. We haven't really seen her that much in YJ, so, yeah. :/**

**So... I'm thinking about doing a prequel to this story with either "Betrayed" by Avenged Sevenfold or "Liar" by Emilie Autumn. Thoughts? I'll have a poll on my profile, in case anyone's interested in voting.**


	5. It's Not Just a Nightmare

**A/N: This chapter was soooooo hard to get through. I especially had a hard time with Mal. Like Karen, we didn't see too much of him, so he might be a little OOC... sorry.**

**I finished the team, and I'll do some of the League members (mostly to fill a few chapters), and then... well... you know the rest.**

* * *

**Chapter 5- It's [Not] Just a Nightmare**

_**The walls start breathing  
My mind's unweaving  
Maybe it's best you leave me alone.**_

* * *

"This can't be happening. You're a freaking bat, you can't just die!"

Saying that this was unsettling was just putting it lightly in Gar's opinion. Garfield Logan had looked up to Nightwing as a mentor, a friend, and an older brother, so really, this was just as hard on him as it was anyone else.

"Look, you know I can't stand to lose someone close to me. I mean, you wouldn't- oh right, I forgot that you're also Dick Grayson, the circus acrobat who lost his parents when he was eight. Sorry. But you have no idea what the team is- well, actually, you do… crap, I'm just no good at this, am I?"

He knew that, if Dick were awake, he'd probably laugh and ruffle his hair. God, Gar was seriously wishing that would happen.

"I'd give anything to hear you joke about what I'm saying right now. Seriously, I wouldn't even whine about it at all… okay, maybe a little, but still! At least I'd get a reaction rather than talking to someone who's totally lifeless."

_Okay, no more jokes, Gar… time to get serious…_

"Look… since I lost mom, you were there to comfort me when I had nightmares on those days sis was out on a mission or something. I didn't know it then, but you knew exactly how I felt. You were the only one I could talk to that would understand it. Sure, M'gann's a good listener and she's really sweet, but she'd never truly understand what I'm going through. We don't want you to leave us, dead or alive. So, Dick, please… please don't make me go through that kind of thing again. It's probably pointless to ask for you to do such a thing, but if this has anything to do with will or hope or anything... please, just stay here with us."

* * *

"When Captain Atom said that this mission was going to be risky, I didn't think that we'd come out unscathed. But this… this is far worse than what we could've imagined."

Mal was one of the first people to totally and completely angry at the fact that Nightwing didn't tell anyone that Artemis was really alive. The normally calm and collected Mal Duncan had yelled so much that he lost his voice. Now, though, he was regretting it, especially what he said.

"I wasn't even there, and yet I can see what happened. Conner had told me about it in great detail- a little too great, if you ask me. And the thought of you dying on us is probably the worst part of all this. The team can't stand it- I guess that's understandable, seeing how you're one of the oldest members of this team."

Mal sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought…

"What are we gonna do without you, man? Not only will this cause the team problems on the field, but emotionally, this will push everyone over the edge. This shouldn't be happening. You should still be on your feet, Vandal should be in prison, and the team should still be their usual selves. You should've proven Capitan Atom wrong and came back with only a few scratches, not with a fatal stab wound and a ten percent chance of living. As per usual, it all went wrong, something unseen came up. Honestly, maybe we'd be better off public than as a covert team."

Mal was never that good with words… this is probably the most he's said in such a short period of time.

"Pull through, okay? This team needs you more that we realize… maybe more than you realize."

* * *

"This **can't** be happening… this **has** to be a nightmare, it **has** to be!"

Cassie was struggling to keep her composure. She honestly has never been this afraid her entire life.

"You were one of the heroes I looked up to when I was growing up. When I was four, I remember seeing you kick bad guy ass on the news when you started out as Robin. I felt that if a kid like you could fight alongside Batman, then maybe I'd be able to do the same with another Leaguer. I still can't believe that I got that chance, even today. You were an inspiration to me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one you inspired. It was because of you and the other teenaged superheroes that I was determined to become one myself."

Cassie smiled fondly at the memory of her collecting a bunch of superhero themed stuff, mostly of Wonder Woman. She remembered her first day as Wonder Girl and how excited she was to become a member of the team.

"You can't die. Do you have any idea how badly this will affect the team and the League? From what I heard from M'gann, Batman was about to kill Joker when the second Robin died. Everyone cares for you… it's bad enough when you get seriously injured, but when there's a ninety percent chance of you dying…"

Cassie couldn't finish. She was already starting to lose what remained of her composure.

* * *

"Neptune's beard! As if we didn't already have it tough, now this happens."

La'gann wasn't sure what he should say. He wasn't all that good with words (unless it had anything to do with his Angel Fish) so this was proving to be difficult.

"I'm still pretty annoyed about the fact that you tricked us into believing that Artemis was dead and that Kaldur betrayed us. Not only did it endanger M'gann, but it also put Kaldur into a catatonic state until she was able to do something about it!"

La'gann sighed.

"However… we did save M'gann, Artemis, and Kaldur. We did stop the Light and the Reach, and we got Blue Beatle to come back to us. So, I guess I'm willing to forgive it… but if it happens again, you'll probably be wishing you were dead, _chum_."

La'gann folded his arms across his chest.

"We don't really know each other that well, so I guess I can't understand what went through your head and I probably won't. M'gann did tell me that you likely had something else in mind, but it might have been even riskier. Whatever it was, I hope to Poseidon that you had a good reason not to use that plan. But, what's done is done, I guess."

La'gann stood up to leave.

"You better pull through… M'gann's already upset as it is, and I don't think she could take it if you died."

* * *

"Esto no está bien. Esto no puede estar pasando."

Jamie had his head in his hands, muttering things in Spanish. Really, this was the last thing he wanted to happen.

"I thought it was bad when Green Beatle reprogrammed my Scarab to cause me to betray the team… this, though, it way worse."

_These feelings are trivial, Jamie Reyes. You and your team should not be worrying about the Nightwing like this._

Jamie ignored the Scarab… but he's learned to live with the voice, even if it was annoying.

"This shouldn't be happening. What happened to the badass Nightwing, the one that always had a plan, and a backup, and a backup for the backup? You can't die, just like that!"

_But he will. The Nightwing will die, even with that slim chance of living. You should be focused on something worthy of your time, not saying goodbye to your leader._

Jamie was getting frustrated, but kept his mouth shut and continued to ignore the Scarab.

"Nightwing, you're one of the few people that didn't give me any strange looks when I said something totally out of the blue. I guess Ted may have told you that the Scarab talks, but I can't be totally sure. I wouldn't be surprised if you **did **know. Maybe you didn't and you just ignored it, because you've seen that kind of thing. Regardless, you didn't judge me for it, which didn't make me feel like a freak… so… thanks for that."

_This is pointless, Jamie Reyes. The Nightwing will not respond. He cannot hear you._

"Just shut up, okay? I don't give a damn about what you have to say!"

Jamie sighs. The Scarab says nothing.

"Sorry. Sometimes, the Scarab just drives me crazy. But, really, I want you to know that I appreciate it. The Scarab tells me that you're not going to make it… so, I want you to prove it wrong… please."

* * *

"This isn't supposed to happen. You're supposed to still be alive! You're not supposed to die until- erm… okay, I shouldn't go farther than that."

Bart was stressed, even more so than he was when he was a slave. His future was fixed, but in exchange, this happened. Maybe this had to happen.

"Man, if I hadn't let that goon knock me out, maybe you wouldn't be in this position… I could've been there faster than you could say 'Flash' and stopped Vandal! But, no, the universe just had to screw me over… ugh, this is so not crash."

Bart fights the tears in his eyes. He had to finish saying what he had to say, then he'd cry about it.

"When I was little, before I became a slave, my mom used to tell me stories about you. She told me about this team, and their fight against the Reach… and most of you died trying. You weren't one of them that died then and there… before you died only a few months later, you trained a kid. When you were killed, he formed the resistance, called the Titans. I know this is true because I met him. He's the guy who suggested I go to the past to stop the Reach, which I- no, we- did. But, if you die, he won't exist. We won't have a Nightwing in the future if you die… you have to live, not only for humanity, but for the good of this team."

Bart sighed. He gave up the fight against the tears.

"We can't go on without you, Dick. We all need you."

* * *

_**A weight is lifted  
On this evening  
I give the final blow.**_

* * *

**A/N: Okay, assuming that Blue DOES come back to the team, I'm gonna say that his Scarab goes back to talking to him. **

**Still wanting to know if I should do a prequel! There's a poll on my profile! I already know one person wants to see one... so, do you? If so, PLEASE vote!**


	6. Hope is Never Enough

**A/N: Thanks so much for all the love!**

**I didn't get to Superman for this chapter, but he'll be there next, along with some other Leaguers.**

**Also, it's been decided that I should do a prequel. The song that you all thought fit it best was "Liar" by Emilie Autumn, so I'll get started on it now. It'll be multi-chaptered, a chapter for each team member as well as what leads up to the beginning of "It Ends Tonight."**

**Plus... did you know Tim Curry plays G. Gordon Godfrey, who also played Doctor Frank-N-Furter in the Rocky Horror Picture Show? I knew Tim Curry sounded familliar when I was looking through the credits, so I looked it up on google (ah, what would we do without it? XD) and I died. I freaking died.**

**EDIT: Just submitted chapter 1 of "Liar." PLEASE CHECK IT OUT!**

* * *

**Chapter 6- Hope is [Never] Enough**

_**When darkness turns to light  
It ends tonight,  
It ends tonight.**_

* * *

"_Superman to Watchtower._"

Conner all but jumped off the chair he sat in when Superman made contact with the Watchtower.

"What was the verdict?" Conner asked. He didn't bother with the formalities.

"_We were found not guilty."_

Conner smiled for the first time in a while. "Great. Just… great."

"_Is there something wrong, Kon-El?_"

Conner looked back at the team for a moment. "Yes… there is."

"_What is it?_" Batman cut in.

"We were sent on a mission to prevent Vandal Savage from reuniting the Light. We were warned that it would be risky, that there was a chance of one of us dying, but we weren't as careful as we should've been."

Batman's eyes narrow. Behind the façade, he's hoping this isn't going where he thinks it is.

"Vandal was ahead of us, as always. His underlings had taken out most of the team, leaving a few of us to either tend to the wounded or keep fighting. Nightwing was fighting Vandal, and he called for backup. By the time we got there, Vandal was down, and we thought he handled it, but…"

"_But __**what**__?_"

"Nightwing was stabbed with Vandal's spear. His chances of living are about ten percent, at best."

Batman's eyes widen. It was just as he feared.

"_Green Lantern, how long will it take to get to the Watchtower?"_

"_About five minutes."_

Batman nodded. "_You heard him. When I get there, I want a full explanation on what happened while we were gone."_

Conner nodded, "Right. Watchtower, out."

* * *

When the remaining members of the League returned, Conner quickly filled them in on what happened the past few months. Everything, from the Reach to the Light's separation, from Kaldur not being a traitor to Artemis's faked death, from Bart to Jamie's temporary betrayal and everything in between, was shared with the Leaguers. This caused a lot of shock on the League's part. After all, they had unwittingly left the Team and about half of the League to deal with such a strong force. The team had so much on their shoulders, and now they were dealing with the thought of losing their leader, friend, mentor, and brother.

What really shocked the League, though, was the fact that Nightwing was able to come up with such a plan. Nobody, not even Batman, had a clue that Nightwing had this plan in action for months. They were close to getting angry, but Bart was quick to explain why it was necessary. Now, with their anger forgotten, they start to mourn.

"Doctor Mid-Nite was unable to do anything about it?" Batman asked.

"Well, no. Doctor Mid-Nite did fix the problem, but it wasn't enough to ensure that he would live." Zatanna said, "He told us to say our goodbyes anyway, just in case."

Batman said nothing.

Wonder Woman placed a hand on his shoulder. "Batman, I know this must be hard for you, especially after what happened to Ja- I mean, the second Robin…" Her voice trailed off, unable to think of another thing to say.

"Batman, you go first. I'm sure there's a lot you have to say to him." Superman said.

Batman didn't need to be told a second time. He left the room faster than anyone would think possible.

* * *

"I didn't want to believe Conner when he told me that you were dying. I thought it was a joke you put him up to… it's certainly something you'd do, Dick."

Batman had lowered his cowl, becoming Bruce Wayne. The silence that he was so used to was overwhelming. He should've heard Dick talking about what happened and suddenly going off topic to something much more lighthearted, a habit he's had since he was a child. He shouldn't be seeing Dick like this, with wires and tubes attached to him.

"I was hoping that I wouldn't have to bury another partner, another son. I know that there's a chance that you'll live, but it's so slim that I can't help but lose hope. But, Tim and Barbara, they're holding on to what little hope they have, just like you would. I suppose that's why they're still hoping that you'll live, because they know that you'd be the same way."

Bruce placed a hand on his son's own. He remembered how small Dick used to be when he was Robin.

"If I didn't have to leave to stand trial for what we did, perhaps this wouldn't have happened. You wouldn't have so much to deal with outside of the team and Bludhaven… I'm aware that being Batman, even for a little while, can be strenuous. I sure that you had to make difficult decisions, ones that you'd never make if you had another choice, but as Batman, you needed to stay in character. What really surprised me was the fact that you did make such a decision as Nightwing, and hid it so well from me. But that's behind us. I wasn't there, and it did stop the Light and the Reach… nonetheless, I'm proud of you. I'll always be, regardless of what decisions you choose to make. I lost the right to tell you what you could and couldn't do when you became Nightwing.

"I wish that I could've been there, Dick. You of all people don't deserve to die, especially at this age. You're still so young; still have your whole life ahead of you. You're stronger than most people, especially since you don't even have powers. You don't need powers, either… I taught you what you needed to know, and then some. I was hoping that it was enough to keep you safe, but it wasn't enough, was it? It's never enough, especially against someone like Vandal Savage."

Bruce's hand tightens its grip slightly, almost unnoticeably, on Dick's hand.

"There's so much more that I want to say, but I might not have the time to do so. I just want you to know that I love you, son. You're one of the few people that I can rely on for many things, both in costume and out. You saved me from myself, Dick… you prevented Batman from completely taking over, and kept me from doing things I'll regret. If you hadn't been there to keep me from killing the Joker, then I probably would've done so. Thank you… for everything. And if you can hear me, try to stay strong… pull through for us."

* * *

"Man, this sucks."

Captain Marvel- or, rather, a fifteen-year-old Billy Batson- sat in the chair next to Dick's bed. The look of absolute disappointment was evident on his face. The teen wished there was something he could do, but neither Captain Marvel nor Billy Batson had a solution.

"I always thought you Bats were immortal. Seriously, I've seen you, Bats, and every other member of the Bat-family in some pretty bad situations, but I think this is the first time when it's been so serious. A ten percent chance of living… well, I don't need the wisdom of Solomon to know it's that bad."

Billy tried to stay as lighthearted as he possibly could. Really, that was the kind of person he was, even when someone was dying.

"Y'know, Wonder Woman went to go take out about half of the training room's androids. Or… y'know, what remained of them. She kinda lost her temper and it took me and Superman to pry her off a particularly stubborn drone. After that, she just broke down… normally I would think she's overreacting, but you've been in the lives of the League for so long, it's hard to say goodbye. Almost every other Leaguer felt the same way… except for Doctor Fate and Red Tornado… but I'm sure that Zatara's probably mourning and that if RT were human, he'd feel that same way."

Billy tried to think of what else to say… he was never this good with words…

"For what it's worth… I think you're stronger than everyone on the team and League combined, even if you don't have superpowers. Prove it to the others and come out of this alive, okay?"

* * *

"I don't think I've ever felt this bad since Kaldur had pretended to betray us… but this is so much worse."

Raquel held Nightwing's hand. Her mind goes back to when she first joined the team, how small and immature and strong he was.

"I remember when we used to date*****… yeah, that relationship didn't last that long, but still. Somehow we remained friends. I guess you're right, that must be your superpower… but I think that the fact that you can leave such mark on someone's life must be another. Everyone's grieving for you."

Raquel wiped a few tears from her eyes.

"We love you, you know that, right? We can't stand the thought of losing you, even after what you did. I was angry about it, yeah, but when Bart explained it… well, yeah, we understood why you did it… that's why we didn't opt to take you off the team. But I regret what I said, now that I know you're dying. I'm trying to hold on to hope, but sometimes it's not enough to hope. Just please… make it out of this alive."

* * *

"Great Hera, this is just awful."

Wonder Woman sat next to Dick, gently running a hand through his ebony locks, something she always did when he was injured or needed comfort as a boy.

"This shouldn't be happening. Athena knows that you've been a great hero, and a great person in general. You may have even saved humanity from one of its biggest threats yet, and you might not even know it. The world might lose a hero they don't know very well, which is a shame, to you and all of the members your team has lost. They all should be remembered, but the people don't know about any of you."

Diana sighed shakily.

"Please, do not give in to death. Do not give up on us, your family, your friends. Do not let yourself go… don't leave us. I don't think we could take another loss, especially after we just got back from trial. I don't think we could've gotten through it without the thoughts of home. I know Bruce hasn't stopped thinking about you, Tim, and Barbara since the second he left. We left behind the world for you and what remained of the League to carry on your young shoulders… and now look at what has happened."

Diana placed a kiss on his forehead.

"May Hera give you strength, Richard."

* * *

_**Just a little insight won't make this right  
It's too late to fight  
It ends tonight,  
It ends tonight.**_

* * *

**A/N: *It's implied in the comics that Dick and Raquel were once in a romantic relationship.**

**Once again: STAY TUNED FOR THE PREQUEL, "LIAR!" I might even do a sequel to this, make this thing a trilogy. Thoughts?**


	7. It's Not a Matter of Hope or Will

**A/N: Okay, so this is the last chapter in which anyone speaks to Nightwing. Sorry to Linzerj for not doing the Hawks or the Lanterns, but I just _could not_ get into character, but on the bright side, I did do Flash, Red Arrow, and Green Arrow... so... yeah. I would've done Black Canary, but I didn't. Sorry!**

**Also, it looks like this will become a trilogy! If you haven't noticed yet, I've submitted the first chapter of "Liar," the prequel for this, and once "It Ends Tonight" is finished, I'll get started on "Head Like a Hole," the sequel, which is inspired by "Head Like a Hole" by the Nine Inch Nails from their 1989 album "Pretty Hate Machine." I strongly encourage you to listen to the song, (the same could be said for "Liar" by Emilie Autumn) and you'll see why I chose this song to inspire the sequel.**

* * *

**Chapter 7- It's [Not] a Matter of Hope or Will**

_**Now I'm on my own side  
It's better than being on your side**_

* * *

"This isn't what I thought we'd come home to. I expected everyone to be so lively and happy, especially since the Light is no longer an issue. But, as the saying goes, an eye for an eye…"

Superman sat beside Nightwing, arms crossed over his chest.

"If we had been here, I would've expected Vandal to get his revenge for breaking up his little club of villains, but not like this. I don't know if he actually meant to kill you or not… for all we know, the chance of taking out the team's leader may just have been a bonus. I can't say, nobody can, but who knows?

"Enough about that. I'm sure you've been told this enough times, but the team's very worried about you. I doubt I've ever seen them like this, even after the simulation went wrong. They've lost people close to them, but I doubt they can take this… you're the only team member outside of M'gann and Kon-El who everyone has gotten a chance to know. You're the only one that's been at this since you were so young. They need you, you know. They need you to train them, to support them, to be there for him, something we all know that you can do better than any of us on the League."

_Kryptonite is far less painful than this is…_

"I'm not going to lose hope… I'm just not that kind of guy, and you know it. I'm confident that you'll pull through, but I can't speak for all of us. If you don't… then at least have the strength to talk to us before you pass on."

* * *

"This kind of thing comes with the job. I've always known that, but never realized it until Neutron almost killed me… but that information doesn't stop us from grieving."

Flash paced back and forth in Dick's room, since staying still was not an option for him.

"You're a good kid, Dick. Well, you're not really a kid anymore, but you get the idea. Despite your age, you're always ready to fight for truth and justice, even if the world doesn't know it. Honestly, it's depressing, the fact that nobody really knows about what you've been doing with the team. You should be known, and in a way, you are, but not enough so for people to have a freakin' holiday in your honor."

Much like his nephew, Barry was distraught over the fact that the kid they've known for so long was dying. He found it difficult to come up with something to say.

"Remember back when you were first introduced to the League? I remember the pranks you pulled on John and J'onn, and Hal and I kinda encouraged it. Now that I think about it, maybe Bats was right… maybe we weren't the best influence on you. Oh, well, too late now, right? We wouldn't have the Dick Grayson we have today, the one we'll still have after today. People may be losing hope now, but I'm not. No, if it's anything we speedsters can do better than breaking the sound barrier is hoping."

Barry smiled fondly at the memory of Dick causing trouble when he was younger, and when he was introduced to Wally and Roy, was even more mischievous. Oh, what he'd give for those days…

"Y'know, this is the first time that I just can't find the right words to say for this kind of thing. You know how talkative I am, but now, I'm at a loss… I guess that saying that I want you to stay strong will have to be enough."

* * *

"I got here as soon as I got the message, Dick… damn it all, I should've been there."*****

Red Arrow sat in the chair next to Dick's bed. The clone had finished what he was doing with the drug ring he was currently keeping tabs on and ran to the nearest Zeta beam to get to the Watchtower as soon as Green Arrow called.

"I don't know how all this happened. I think it all went to hell when the Justice League were under Vandal's control… that's when we stopped being kids and we started to have problems with the real world. We still had good times, but I swear, it's like the bad outweighed them. This one, for example. You're freaking dying, and the thought that there's nothing I can do is scary. You're one of the few people I still have left, and the same could be said for many of the members of the team.

"When something like this happens, I try so hard not to think of the bad times we had, but I look back at the good, stupid, and hilariously ugly times. Remember when you went through puberty? In the middle of a mission every now and again, you'd say something, and your voice would crack, which caused the bad guys to not be able to take you seriously. There was that one time in particular when we were fighting Harley Quinn, and she just started gushing about how adorable it was. Man, you wouldn't open your mouth for a week, and Wally and I just teased you about it. Which reminds me, if you do make it through this, and you fuck with me, I'll have great blackmail material."

Roy ran a hand through his auburn hair. He knew this was going to be hard and excruciating, but this was too much.

"Jade and I, we had a daughter. I'm sure you probably already know, since you're a goddamn bat, but in case you didn't know, well… yeah. Her name's Lian. When Jade and I searched for Speedy, we took her along, and when we took out this goon, she giggled. It reminded me of you, for obvious reasons. It made me realize that I did miss he team, that I did miss goofing off with you and Wally."

Roy got up to leave, but before he left, he turned back to Dick.

"Look, you're one of the people I'd want to introduce to my daughter when she's old enough to remember who you are. I want you to stay alive so she has that chance to meet you."

* * *

"I've learned over the years that, as a hero, getting too close to someone can hurt when you or they die. But, dammit, it's too hard not to get close to someone, especially when they make friends with just about everyone in the room… kinda like you, Dick."

Oliver sighed. This kinda thing was hard, something he knew very well.

"I miss the old days, before the invasion, even before the team was formed. I remember back when you, Wally, and Roy would goof off when we didn't have much to do or if it was a slow patrol. If Wally and Roy got into a fight, you were usually the voice of reason, and if they didn't listen, you somehow got them to stop fighting. Still don't know what that trick was, but I have a feeling it's the same look Roy would use to get the car- it never worked, mind you, but I'm sure if you did it, I'd let you do it."

Ollie smiled fondly at the memories.

"We don't want to lose you. I know that Bruce isn't going to take it well if you die- hell, he's not taking it too well now. Everyone's blaming themselves, for either not being there or for what they said, even more so now that Hal went and told them that part of you coming out of this alive had to do with your will to live… I'm pretty sure that he regrets saying anything now, but still… Look, if it does have to do with will, I know for a fact that you wouldn't just give up on us. I'm hoping to god that you do have the will, because I can't tell right now. We need you, Dick."

* * *

_**It's my fault when you're blind  
It's better that I see it through your eyes**_

* * *

**A/N: *Assume Red Arrow knows Dick's secret identity, okay?**


	8. I Don't Want to Remember

**A/N: This chapter's slightly longer than the others, and the next will most likely be kinda long, too. This chapter and the next will be the original team sharing some memories of Nightwing, then we'll have the two endings.**

**As for the sequel, "Head Like a Hole," I plan on having every other chapter correspond with one of the endings. For example,chapter one will correspond with the first ending, then chapter two will correspon with the second ending. That, or I'll split "Head Like a Hole" into two stories, one for the original ending, and one for the alternate. Not sure yet...**

* * *

**Chapter 8- I [Don't] Want to Remember**

_**All these thoughts locked inside**_

* * *

The team sat in the recreational room of the Watchtower, waiting for any changes in Nightwing's condition.

Artemis was flipping through her mp3 player, trying to take her mind off the thought of her not-so-little brother…

"_Should I give up, or should I just keep chasing pavements-"_

"_If I die young-"_

"_At the top of my lungs in my arms she dies-"_

"_While we damn the dead I'm trying to survive, I'm not ready to die-"_

…and, go figure, every song she came to her only made her think about it more.

Artemis finally gave up, resisted the urge to throw it, and took out her phone. As she flipped through some of the videos she had taken over the past few years, she came across one from when the team was first formed. She smiled as she watched through the video.

Wally just so happened to have glanced over to Artemis, and noticed that she was smiling. "Whatcha watching, babe?" he asked.

"A video from when the team was first formed. I hadn't realized I still had it, but apparently, I did." Artemis answered.

"Y'know, babe, you just gave me a really good idea."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"You'll see."

Wally stood up on the coffee table that was in front of the couch he and Artemis sat on and said, "Okay, listen. Nightwing may only have a ten percent chance of living, but we can't just sit here and grieve. We should be keeping hope that he'll make it through this… and what better way to do so than share a few memories? It might help take our minds off of his current situation and give us a break from the depression."

Wally would've expected somebody to say that they shouldn't do something like that, but nobody objected. To his surprise, Conner, of all people, didn't even say a word against it.

"That'd be a great idea, Wally." Zatanna said, "Why don't you start?"

"All right… I'm sure you guys already know that Nightwing and I knew each other even before the team was formed. I met him two years prior to that, when I was just starting out as Kid Flash and he had been Robin for a while…"

* * *

"_Hurry up, Flash! I don't wanna be late!"_

"_Jeez, Kid, calm down! We'll be there in time, I promise."_

_The buildings blurred together as a thirteen-year-old Kid Flash ran at the speed of sound alongside his mentor. Gotham and Central were far apart, but for the speedsters, it was no problem._

"_Oh my god, I'm going to meet __**the**__ Batman! This is so cool!" Kid Flash said._

"_You know, he has a sidekick of his own."_

"_Duh, I know! Meeting Robin's gonna be pretty awesome, too."_

_Flash and Kid Flash skidded to a halt once they arrived in the area Batman told them to meet._

"_Bats? You here?" Flash called out._

"_You're late."_

_From the shadows came a figure dressed in black and gray. Batman was tall and intimidating, almost making Wally want to pee his pants. A large, black bat was spread over the man's chest. The cape he wore looked like it was made from pure darkness, making him all the more intimidating._

"_So, where's Robbie? I've got someone I want to introduce to him." Flash said._

"_Robin." He says._

_Out of nowhere, Robin lands next to Batman, causing Kid Flash to shriek from surprise. The boy, who was no more than ten or eleven, was pretty much the opposite of his mentor. Robin wore a red and black outfit, with some yellow here and there. A yellow "R" was partially obscured by the black and yellow cape that he wore, which, unlike his mentor, didn't reach the ground and, from the looks of it, was much lighter. His messy black hair was in his face, and his eyes were hidden by a black and white domino mask._

_Long story short, the kid was adorable._

"_Kid, this is Robin. Robin, this is-"_

"_Kid Flash." Robin said._

_Kid Flash looked flabbergasted. "How did you…"_

"_I did my homework." Robin said with a grin._

"_Cool."_

"_It's awesome to meet another sidekick. Dude, wait 'till I tell Speedy about this."_

"_You know Speedy?! Flash, he knows Speedy! Speaking of Speedy, why does he call himself that if he doesn't have any powers?"_

"_I dunno, actually. I never bothered to ask." Robin said._

"_Oh. So, how long have you been Robin?" Kid asked._

"_A little over two years. I've… I've been doing this since I was nine."_

"_Since you were nine? That's incredible!"_

_Flash and Batman left the two to get to know each other while Batman debriefed the older speedster on what recently occurred._

_Robin laughs a little, "So I've been told. Some of the member of the League, though… they don't think so."_

"_Why not? Dude, you're helping to save the world!"_

"_It's because I'm so young that they're so skeptical. Ugh, being a kid sucks…"_

"_Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" Kid Flash said. Switching the subject, he added, "Flash is my uncle. So, um… is Batman, like, your father or something?"_

_Robin looks at the ground, his wide grin morphing into a slight frown. "Or something. My dad… he's dead."_

"_Oh… sorry." Kid Flash said, his voice sincere. He mentally kicked himself over bring up something like that, even if he didn't know the kid's dad was dead._

"_It's fine. I didn't expect you to know, anyway. Bats is kinda paranoid, so I can't really tell anyone outside of the League members anything that will give my identity away. But, really, Batman's a father figure to me, even if he doesn't show it in public."_

_Kid Flash smiled, throwing an arm around the younger's shoulders. "Y'know, I feel the same way about my uncle. I mean, yeah, I love my dad and all, but he doesn't understand me as well as Flash does."_

_Robin doesn't really respond. He just smiled slightly._

_Kid Flash ginned, once again changing the subject, "I wonder if I could convince Bats to let you come over sometime and, y'know, play video games or something."_

"_I don't think you could-"_

"_Robin, it's time to go." Batman said._

"_Yeah, Kid, we need to get you home before your mother thinks you got killed." Flash said._

"_Aww, come on!" Kid whined, "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you, Rob."_

"_You too, KF."_

* * *

"Nightwing and I have known each other since." Wally finished.

"Awww!" M'gann gushed, seemingly recovered from her sorrow for the time being.

"Who's next?" Wally asked.

"I say Zatanna." Artemis said, "I'm sure you have a bunch of embarrassing stories from when you two dated."

"Alright, fine." Zatanna said, giggling. "For, like, three years, Nightwing and I went out. Now, our first date was interrupted by a mission, and so were the other two. We decided that none of those would count as our first date, so, on Valentine's Day, when we had the day off, we tried to have our fourth first date. We were both fifteen, and instead of doing anything really fancy, we decided to stay at the cave and watch _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_..."

* * *

"_Believe me, Wally won't be interrupting your movie, I promise." Artemis said._

"_You're positive?" Robin asked._

"_Yes. He's taking me out to make up for not giving me a gift. I get to choose the restaurant, and you better believe that it's gonna be expensive."_

"_Oh, you're terrible." Zatanna said._

"_Hey, your boyfriend's the one that gave me the idea." Artemis said._

"_I should've known. My beau, the king of the trolls." Zatanna said, "For the record, I'm the only one that can call him that."_

"_That's not the cutest pet name, but okay… I gotta go, before Wally decides to ditch."_

"_See ya, Artie." Robin said, before turning to Zatanna, "I'll go get the movie. Could you set up?"_

"_Sure."_

_Within about five minutes, they had their copy of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" playing._

_Since Robin had seen this movie a few times before, he knew all the lyrics to the songs, and was singing along. Zatanna knew a few of the songs, since she was a diehard "Glee" fan and had seen the episode where the cast did songs from the movie, and she too sang along._

_When the scene with "Time Warp" started to play, Robin jumped off the couch._

"_What are you doing?" Zatanna asked._

"_I don't know about you, but I'm dancing along with this. You wanna join in?" Robin asked, holding his hand out to her._

"_I guess."_

_They didn't realize that Conner and M'gann had snuck in._

"_It's just a jump to the left, and then a step to the ri-i-i-i-ight~" Robin sang with the movie._

"_With your hands on your hips, you bring your knees in ti-i-ight~" Zatanna sang._

"_But it's the pelvic thru-uh-ust that really drives you insa-a-a-ane! Let's do the Time Warp again~" They sang together._

_When the song ended, the two of them mimicked Riff Raff, Magenta, and Colombia by falling back onto the couch with their laughter ringing through the mountain._

"_OH MY GOD, THAT WAS JUST TOO CUTE!"_

_Startled, Robin and Zatanna nearly jump out of their skins. "How long have you been there?" Robin asks._

"_Since the song started." Conner said._

"_What was that? And what movie are you guys watching?" M'gann asked._

"_That was the "Time Warp" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." You guys wanna join us?" Zatanna asked._

"_Sure!"_

* * *

"After the next song, _Sweet Transvestite_, Nightwing was explaining to M'gann and Conner what a transvestite was and I was trying not to laugh." Zatanna finished.

"Conner, I would think with your intelligence-"

"Just shut up, Wally." Conner said.

"Okay, my turn." Artemis said, stopping the fight before it could start. "Since the Reds attacked, Nightwing and I got closer. Our relationship became that of siblings. We had returned from a mission in Siberia, shortly after Robin became Nightwing and the second Robin took his place…"

* * *

"_Is it me, or does Nightwing seem more tired than usual?" Artemis asked._

"_Pfft, probably. The guy doesn't know when to stop working and rest for a while." The second Robin replied._

_The fourteen-year-old was right, even if it was harsh. Nightwing's posture was a bit slouched, something rarely seen in the teen no matter how exhausted he was. He looked slightly flushed, but one couldn't tell if it was actually Nightwing or just the lighting of the mountain. The sixteen-year-old looked like he couldn't really keep his eyes open long enough to finish what he was working on at the moment._

"_Don't I know it, Robin. The guy's really stubborn about this, too. He'll deny the fact that he's sick until the point where he passes out and he'll eventually be stuck in the medlab for a week." Artemis left the room and came back with a thermometer. "Okay, if he doesn't come quietly, I'll hold him down while you stick this in his mouth."_

"_If I can't get it into his mouth, what do I… oh, never mind."_

_Artemis and Robin casually walked over to Nightwing, with the thermometer hidden away from sight._

"_Nightwing, are you feeling okay?" Artemis asked._

"_Yeah… yeah, just a little tired." He mumbled. Artemis placed a hand on the teen's forehead and gasped. She grabbed the thermometer from Robin and shoved it into Nightwing's mouth. The thermometer beeped, and Artemis read the temperature. "'Wing, you have a fever of 102.6! C'mon, we're getting you to bed."_

"_But-"_

"_Don't worry about whatever you're working on, I'll finish it!" Robin said._

"_You don't even know what it is!" Nightwing argued._

"_I'll figure it out!"_

"_C'mon, before you pass out." Artemis said, pushing the sixteen-year-old towards his room._

_Once she got Nightwing into his room, she had him change out of his costume while she went to get a few things. When she returned with some extra blankets, medicine, tissue boxes, some bottles of water, a cup of orange juice, and a beat up copy of "Alice in Wonderland," Nightwing had changed out of his costume and was already starting to fall asleep._

"'_Wing, before you fall asleep, take two of these and drink this orange juice, okay?" Artemis said, running a hand through his soft black hair._

_Nightwing groaned in response, but did what he was told. Artemis snorted at the teen's reaction and picked up the copy of "Alice in Wonderland."_

"_What's with the book?" Nightwing yawned._

"_When I was younger, my sister would read this to me when I got sick. She'd read until I fell asleep." Artemis said, "I was going to read it to you."_

_Nightwing gave a tired smile. Artemis took that as a yes._

"'_Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do…'"_

_It wasn't long until the bird had fallen asleep. Artemis smiled as she adjusted the blankets over the teen._

* * *

"Awww! I remember that!" Zatanna said, "He sounded so adorable when he was all stuffed up!"

A few snickers were heard amongst the younger boys on the team and a bunch of awww's out of every female member of the team. Conner tried to hide his laughter, but one didn't need to be a detective to tell he was trying.

"I've got one!" M'gann said, "It was our third Christmas together, shortly after Robin became Nightwing and the second Robin joined the team. There was still some confusion, for obvious reasons, but never before had it been this crazy…"

* * *

"_Merry Christmas, guys!" M'gann squealed. In her arms were several packages wrapped in bright coloured wrapping paper._

"_Ugh, I don't care if it's Christmas, I just wanna sleep." Robin mumbled as Nightwing dragged him along._

"_Well, bah humbug to you too, Robin." Nightwing said. The former boy wonder looked weary, yet he still had a smile on his face. "You can go back to sleep after opening presents."_

_Robin grunted, "Whatever."_

"_Rob- sorry, Nightwing is right, Robin." M'gann said, "We don't usually celebrate holidays together as a family."_

"_Let me get one thing through your head, red. I'm only here to kick bad guy butt, not to be all holly-jolly with any of you." Robin spat out venomously._

'_Sorry about him, M'gann…' Nightwing apologized mentally, 'He doesn't mean it, really. He just… he's had a rough life thus far.'_

'_It's fine, Nightwing. I know he doesn't mean it.' M'gann replied sympathetically. She was well aware that everyone in the Bat family had a tragic past._

_The members of the team exchanged their gifts, as they did every year. Everyone promptly started to rip open the packages they received, neatness of the room be damned._

_The first gift Robin opened was the entire series of "Smallville," which he gave a strange look at._

"_Oh… "Smallville." You shouldn't have." Robin said, somewhat sarcastically._

"_Wait a minute… that was my gift to Nightwing." Artemis said, "Okay, what just…"_

"_Uh, I like "Teen Titans" and all, but… uh…" Nightwing said._

"_Oh my god, I think I mixed up my gifts for you two. I'm so sorry!" Artemis said._

"_That explains it. I was wondering why I got such a stupid show." Robin said._

"_Hey! "Smallville" is so not a stupid show!" Nightwing said._

"_If Artemis got her gifts mixed up, maybe we should double check our other gifts." Kaldur suggested._

_After about twenty minutes, everyone had sorted out the issue. Actually, the only one that remembered that the Robin they all knew had become Nightwing was Conner, who was currently trying not to laugh._

"_Well, that was probably the most amusing thing to happen here yet." Robin said._

"_C'mon Robbie, you know you love us." Nightwing said, tossing the homemade Nightwing plushie that M'gann gave him at the current Robin._

"_Oh, you're gonna get it, 'Wing!" Robin yelled, tackling the former boy wonder to the floor._

* * *

"That was probably the most interesting Christmas we've ever had." M'gann said, smiling slightly.

"I'll say." Artemis said, "I've never felt that embarrassed in all my life."

"Who's next?" Artemis asked.

"I will go." Kaldur said, "Conner, Nightwing, and I had returned from a mission in Germany. We were there to stop a group of Nazis that were determined to launch a third world war, which we succeeded in doing…"

* * *

_**Now you're the first to know**_

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I'd just like to say that I just LOVE Smallville, and I pictured Dick liking it, too. (Yeah, it's about Superman, but still, it's a great show.) And Jason, since he's kinda the opposite of Dick, doesn't. Instead, I said he liked Teen Titans.**

**The songs on Artemis' mp3 player are, in order, "Chasing Pavements" by Adele, "If I Die Young" by the Band Perry, "The Ghost of You" by My Chemical Romance, and "Not Ready to Die" by Avenged Sevenfold.**


	9. I Don't Want to Forget

**A/N: Okay, I lied... not as long as the previous chapter, but it's still kinda fluffy.**

**For those of you that don't already know, either because you haven't read the latest chapter of "Liar," or you don't follow it all together (which is fine, because it's not like you won't understand what's happening in this story without reading that), then I'd like to take a second to tell you about a story I'll start working on after I finish this and when I've started "Head Like a Hole." It's called "Where's my Wonderland," a much more modern version of "Alice in Wonderland" inspired by Wonderland-themed songs, such as "Where's my Wonderland" by Blood on the Dance Floor, "Follow Me Down" by 3!Oh3, and "Strange" by Tokio Hotel, with a YJ twist. It stars Artemis as Alice, Dick as her super sassy gay best friend (because we all know he'd be the perfect super sasy gay best friend)/the Mad Hatter, Jade as the Cheshire cat, and M'gann as the White Queen, among others.**

**Okay... shameless advertising over... enjoy!**

**Just a reminder, the first story being told is a continuation of what Kaldur was saying.**

* * *

**Chapter 9- I [Don't] Want to Forget**

_**When darkness turns to light  
It ends tonight,  
It ends tonight**_

* * *

"_How is your arm, friend?" Kaldur asked Nightwing. The teen's arm had been shattered after fighting the leader of the wannabe-Nazis, which was the reason he was currently wearing a cast and sling._

"_Sore." Nightwing said, "It's no big deal, though. I've had worse."_

_Kaldur chuckled. No matter how much pain the teen would be in, he'd always shrug it off and smile. The older was kinda jealous that Nightwing had that ability, but since the second Robin was murdered, he's seen it less and less. It was terrible, even after everyone that Nightwing had lost. One of these days, Kaldur thought, Nightwing would hit the breaking point and stop smiling all together… he just hoped it didn't happen anytime soon._

"_I agree. You have been through worse, both physically and mentally. If I am correct, going toe to toe with Nazis is the easiest thing you have done this week."_

"_Yeah, I guess so."_

_For just a second, Nightwing's smile falters, then goes back to the way it was._

"_Is there something on your mind, Nightwing?" Kaldur asks, placing a hand on the teen's shoulder. He remembers when he was thirteen, when the younger barley came up to his chest. Now, at seventeen, he was about up to his chin. It was incredible how fast the boy had grown in such a short amount of time._

"_It's not important." Nightwing said quickly. Kaldur gave him a skeptical look, the tell-tale sign that the Atlantian did not believe the former boy wonder. Kaldur learned that actions and facial expressions seemed to get through to Nightwing more so than words ever did._

"_You know you can talk to me about this, Nightwing, do you not?" Kaldur says, "I am willing to listen to what you have to say."_

"_We've found a possible candidate to be the third Robin. Well, it's more like he's insisting on being the new Robin." Nightwing said. He didn't bother hesitating, and chose to tell Kaldur._

"_Insisting? I thought civilians didn't typically converse with you or the other members of the Bat clan."_

"_Here's the thing… he didn't talk to me about it as Nightwing. He deduced my identity! The kid's barley in his teens, and he freakin' knows who I am when the mask is off. And… I know this kid. He was there when my parents died. He saw it. And he used that to figure out who I am. It's… it's unbelievable."_

"_That is interesting." Kaldur remarked._

"_I have to say, I'm impressed. He'd make a great Robin, but after what happened to the second… I doubt Batman would be willing to take on yet another protégé. Believe me, I see where he's coming from, but the kid brought up a very interesting point… he said that Batman __**needed**__ a Robin, and I agree. So… I'm going to help him. I'll train him personally if I have to. I won't make the same mistakes I made with his predecessor. I won't let him throw his life away, not again."_

"_Nightwing, the death of the second Robin was not your fault. You did not know that Robin had chosen to go after the Joker. You did not know where Joker had taken him. You were unable to get there in time, but it does not mean you didn't try anything. In reality," Kaldur said, "Robin's impetuousness was his downfall."_

"_I guess you're right about that… but I should've kept one eye on him. He was only Robin for a year before he died, Kal. I could've done something… I know I could've." Nightwing said, looking at the ground._

"_I suppose so, Nightwing. I still blame myself for what I have done in the past, even after Tula and Garth both told me it was not my fault. I suppose it is the faith of our kind, to continuously blame ourselves for our mistakes in the past." Kaldur said._

_Nightwing smiled slightly at the Atlantian's words. "Thanks, Kal."_

_Kaldur simply nods._

* * *

"It is a shame I am unable to take my own advice now." Kaldur finished, "I am almost positive that Nightwing would say something similar to what I said to him long ago."

"I agree." Conner said, "He's one of the few people I know that choose to take the blame rather than pass it off to someone else."

"So, Conner, how about you go next?" Gar said.

"Well, alright… Nightwing, shortly after abandoning his mantle of Robin, obviously had to think things through. Batman had forced him to give up the mantle, but in a way, I think he was happy to get the chance to escape his mentor's shadow. However, we hadn't seen him for two weeks…"

* * *

"_This isn't like him at all." M'gann said, "It's not like him to not come in for two weeks! What if he was seriously injured? What if he's in the hospital? What if he's dying on a gross street? What if he's already dead?"_

"_M'gann, calm down." Artemis said, "I'm sure he's fine. For all we know, he's probably halfway across the world with Batman."_

_Honestly, though, everyone was worried. Robin had not returned any of Wally's calls, which was highly unlike his best friend. Zatanna hadn't had any contact with her boyfriend, which, again, was unusual, since she texts him even in the middle of class. Artemis, who had grown increasingly protective of her little brother, was freaking out a little, too. She knew that it wasn't good if you lost contact with someone like Robin. And, though he didn't show it, Conner was starting to get worried. The bird had a knack for getting into trouble._

_**Recognized- Robin, B01**_

_Upon hearing the computer announcing Robin's arrival, M'gann was off like a shot, flying about as fast as Wally._

"_Robin! You're okay!" M'gann said, giving the teen a bone-crushing hug, "Oh my god, we were so worried! You didn't show up for so long!"_

"_Yeah… I know." Robin mumbled._

"_Hey, dude, what's wrong?" Wally asked._

"_Well… I'm no longer Robin."_

"_What?! Please tell me you're kidding!"_

"_I'm not, Wally. Batman __**fired**__ me."_

_That news came to a great surprise to the team. Not once did they ever think that Batman would fire Robin._

"_But… does this mean you have to leave the team?" Conner asked._

"_Batman has no say in that. We both agreed to that on day one." Robin sighed._

"_This does not explain why you were gone for two weeks." Kaldur said._

"_I needed time to cool off. I needed to take the time to think, and, well…"_

"_Well what?" Artemis asked._

"_Nightwing."_

"_Nightwing?"_

"_That's what I'm calling myself now. Nightwing. As in the Kryptonian superhero Superman told us about." Robin- no, Nightwing- said, "I've got a costume ready and everything."_

"_Nightwing… has a nice ring to it." Wally said._

"_Yeah, I guess." Nightwing said, "But I'm going to need a little help explaining this to Batman…"_

* * *

"Wow, M'gann, way to be a mother hen." Gar said.

"Gar, Nightwing's like a little brother to me! Excuse me for freaking out over the possibility of him being dead in an alley." M'gann defended.

"So, who goes next?" Wally asked.

"I will." Raquel said, "We were-"

Raquel stopped when Black Canary rushed into the room.

"Black Canary? Is something wrong?" Batgirl asked.

"He's… he's waking up." Dinah said, "Nightwing's waking up."

The team didn't need to be told a second time before they started to run to the medlab.

* * *

_**Just a little insight won't make this right  
It's too late to fight  
It ends tonight,  
It ends**_

* * *

**A/N: NEXT IS THE SAD, DEPRESSING ENDING! THEN IT'S THE ALTERNATE! THEN ON TO "HEAD LIKE A HOLE!" OH MY GOD I'M SO EXCITED!**


	10. I Don't Want to Live

**A/N: OH MY GOD, LONG CHAPTER IS LONG! This took nearly a week to write, but the technical ending for "It Ends Tonight" is here! The alternate ending will be up soon, and it's not going to be as long.**

**As for "Head Like a Hole," I will NOT alternate the chapters. Since this here is the actual ending to the story, its sequel will pick up right where it left off. "Head Like a Hole" will strictly go off this ending. (And no amount of begging will change that. I'm sorry, but it'll just be way too confusing and nobody will read a story they can't understand.)**

* * *

**Chapter 10- I [Don't] Want to Live**

_**When darkness turns to light  
It ends tonight,  
It ends tonight.**_

* * *

When the team arrived in Nightwing's room, they noticed that something was off. The smile on Nightwing's face looked halfhearted and weak. His skin was pale, even more so than usual.

Deep down, they got a terrible feeling.

"Nightwing!" Zatanna said, rushing over to her ex's side. She clasps one of his hands in both of hers.

"Zee…" Nightwing's voice is barely above a whisper. "I… I'm not g-going to make it ou-out of this one."

"No… no, you have to! We need you!" Zatanna said.

"You don't. Y-you all say y-you do, but I kn-know you d-d-don't."

"Nightwing-"

"Zee… please… I h-have to get th-this off m-my chest…" Nightwing says. Zatanna wipes at her eyes, but doesn't say a word.

"Wally… I never did blame you for n-not being there. I don't blame you for an-anything. If anything, I'm the guy who s-should receive the blame. I put e-everyone at risk because I d-decided I couldn't trust anyone with that secret. I'm s-such an asshole, a-aren't I? And I can understand t-that you'd be worried about A-Artemis. Thanks to me, she was nearly k-killed. I could've… could've gone with my b-backup plan from the st-start, rather than sending her in. I'm sorry."

"Di- Nightwing, the other options you had would've been riskier… you could've been in this same position." Wally said, "I'm the one that should be sorry."

_After what he did? I could care less if he dropped dead!_

"No… you're not, Walls." Nightwing said. He turned his attention to Artemis.

"Artemis, y-you're one of the few people that chose to s-stick up for me, and for that, I can't thank you enough. You're the closest thing to an older si-sister I have… well, human sister. I'm so s-sorry for involving you in this… I'm so sorry that I couldn't have made it ea-easier. It was nice, though… to have you back on the t-team, even if you were kinda sorta d-d-dead most of the time. Way to… way to stay t-traught."

The younger's words caused her to flinch slightly, but she somehow managed to hide it. Artemis sighed, "Nightwing, you know I don't blame you… we both knew there would be risks. So stop blaming yourself, you little troll. If you're going to die, I don't want you to die this depressed."

_When I was younger, my sister would read this to me when I got sick. She'd read until I fell asleep. I was going to read it to you._

Nightwing's smile seemed to be less halfhearted when he heard that, but one really couldn't tell.

"M'gann, like I told Zatanna, you d-don't **need** me. I'm just another s-s-soldier dying on the ba-battlefield… I have no more importance than anyone else. The only t-thing making me different from anyone else on the team is my ex-experience and nothing more. I'll admit, I've had it t-tough, but it's not like I've had to live on the st-streets or have my parents practically ignore me. It's not like I escaped the place I grew up in o-order to escape the t-t-tortures of home or was created to be a w-weapon when I know that I didn't have to be one. It's not like I'm trying to escape my past and my so-called f-fate- well, okay, t-t-technically I did, but I didn't know about that for a good eighteen years of my life. M-my point is… you don't need me any more than you need the team, or your mentor, or the need to just live your life. If anything, I should be one of the l-last things on your mind."

"Nightwing, that's not true!" M'gann tried to reason, "We need you to keep us together… you're part of our family… you're more than our leader. You're our brother, our friend, and to many of the younger members, you're a mentor to them. They need you, no matter what you say."

_It's not like him to not come in for two weeks! What if he was seriously injured? What if he's in the hospital? What if he's dying on a gross street? What if he's already dead?_

"T-that's a nice t-thought, M'gann, but I k-know they'll be f-f-fine." Nightwing said, "Conner, I don't b-blame you for not coming to back me up right away… honestly, I-I'd probably do the same thing if I were you. Y-y-you were more or less entitled to be angry… along with about half the team. I shouldn't have g-gone in alone… I know what Vandal is ca-capable of, but did I even bother to listen to my instincts? N-n-no. And I agree… I wish we could go back to the past… but I wouldn't change m-much. We've been through so much t-together. What we went through only brought us closer, which is both a g-gift and a c-c-curse."

"It was wrong for me to think that. I should've gotten there faster." Conner said, "You might not be in this position, at least not as bad."

_Nightwing, because of your goddamn plan, I lost my home! I don't care if you didn't mean for it to happen, because it won't change what you did. The trust I have in you is almost gone, and for what reason? It's because you kept your secrets._

"No… I'd p-probably still be in this room, d-d-dying." Nightwing told the clone, "I was s-s-stupid enough to think I-I could take him…

"Zatanna, I-I know I hurt you more than most of the other m-members of the team. What you said was true- I **did** u-use you, and it just wasn't fair. I'm s-s-sorry for that. But I really didn't have any other option… no d-disguise I could come up with would have fooled R-Ra's al Ghūl or Vandal. There were o-others I c-c-could've asked- Jason Blood, Raven, hell, m-maybe even Circe… but I couldn't fully trust th-them to do something like that for me… o-only you. And I… I l-love you, too, Zee."

Zatanna covered her mouth with her hands as the tears increased. She found it hard to say a thing.

_My beau, the king of the trolls. For the record, I'm the only one that can call him that._

"Robin… I'm sorry I c-can't keep my p-promise to you. I told you I'd be th-there for you. Damn, some big brother I t-t-turned out to b-be, huh? But I k-know you'll find the s-s-strength to go on. Don't end up like your p-predecessor… as much as I l-loved him, he was always h-headstrong, always l-leaping before he l-l-looked. I know that y-you'll be able to help your friends get t-through this. I don't want you or a-anyone else to think that this is y-your fault… I should've been more careful. R-robin, I want you to know that I still b-b-believe in you, and I don't want y-you to think otherwise. Just… just stay w-whelmed."

"Nightwing…" Robin whimpered. Batgirl pulled the boy into a hug.

_You're one of the few people I still have here, the only one that knows what I'm going through._

Nightwing gave the boy a sympathetic look. This hurt more than any physical pain he's ever gone through.

"Kal, I've l-lost people that have meant more to me than my own life. I g-guess that's one of the things the entire team has in c-c-common- we've lost people. That's part of the reason why I chose this l-life… to prevent any k-kid from losing their p-p-parents or anyone close to them. Look at how that turned out… I couldn't even save R-robin's parents. But, I g-guess what your father said was true- true c-c-character is shown in failure. I know t-that's true with many members of the team. O-our team was started because of a f-failure- er, sort of… would any of you count blowing up C-cadmus as a failure? But, you shouldn't b-blame y-y-yourself for this, Kaldur. As a good f-friend of m-mine once said, 'it is the fate of our kind to continuously blame ourselves for our mistakes in the past.'"

"My friend, you must not give up on us." Kaldur said, "I do not believe that the team could take another loss."

_I still blame myself for what I have done in the past, even after Tula and Garth both told me it was not my fault. I suppose it is the fate of our kind, to continuously blame ourselves for our mistakes in the past._

"You… y-you will. You'll be able to m-move on with y-your lives, I know it." Nightwing said as he turned his attention to Batgirl.

"Batgirl, you're the g-greatest best-friend-who-is-also-a-girl a guy could a-ask for. You were the first friend I made in G-Gotham, and you were a-a-always there for me. I doubt I would've dealt with the b-bullies and the stress of school on top of fighting crime if it weren't for y-you. You're one of the few people I can t-t-trust almost everything with. I'm sorry for not t-t-telling you about the plan. You haven't been f-fighting crime all that l-long, and I chose to keep the secret to just a few of us to p-prevent Artemis and Kaldur from being ex-exposed. I know that y-you felt betrayed, and I'm s-sorry… I know it won't d-do much, but I'm s-sorry."

"Don't say stuff like that, Nightwing!" Batgirl said.

_Remember old whatsername and how she absolutely hated it when you'd butcher the English language? I remember you'd say something with the word aster or chalant or re-nial every other sentence and she'd get so angry._

"Y-you know me, B-Batgirl… I t-t-tell it like it is.

"I g-guess it is unfair, Karen. The longest r-romantic relationship I had was w-w-with Zatanna, and I've had n-no chance to actually have a f-fa-family of my own. I guess K-karma really is a b-bitch, isn't she? I won't d-d-deny that I've had it coming. I guess that, in the end, I'm g-getting what I d-deserve. And I would've liked to get a ch-chance to know you and many other members of the t-team a little better… maybe, in a d-different place, in a d-different time, hell, even a d-different world, we would've been g-g-great friends."

"I agree, Nightwing. I think we would've been great friends." Karen said.

_If I had the chance, I'd want to get to know you a little better than I do now._

"Y-you're a good kid, Gar. You're s-strong, both physically and at em-emotionally. Many kids t-that lose their parents either ch-choose to cry about it or take revenge… but very f-few choose j-justice. When I l-lost my parents… I wanted to h-have their m-murderer suffer… but it was s-s-something I found I couldn't do. Y-you didn't even think about it. You chose j-justice, which is impressive e-even for a kid your age. I wish I could s-stay and watch you grow, Gar… but I c-can't."

Gar said nothing in response. M'gann held him close as he started to cry.

_I don't want to go through that again… I don't want to lose someone close to me ever again._

"Mal, n-nothing in this life ever g-goes right. That was s-s-something I learned back when I was just s-starting out as R-Robin. No matter how h-ha-hard one tries, n-no matter how many c-contingency plans one makes, something always goes wrong. T-this is the same case with everything and a-an-anything we do as heroes. It's a reminder that this is r-reality, and, as we all know, reality is c-cold and h-hard. So, I guess this kind of thing is in-inevitable… believe it or not, the B-bat family has a knack for getting in t-too deep, and this is n-no exception to the rule."

"But it doesn't have to be this way." Mal said.

_As per usual, it all went wrong, something unseen came up. Honestly, maybe we'd be better off public than as a covert team._

Nightwing gave the elder a sad smile before turning to Cassie.

"Unfortunately, Cassie, t-this isn't a n-nightmare. If it were… if it w-were, I would've w-woken up already, knowing that I d-didn't have to do what I did, or that a-anyone was hurt. F-fate's not that kind to us. And I know all t-too well what this will do to the team a-and the League… after the second Robin met his end, everyone was hysterical. It was nothing but m-mass hysteria. The Leaguers kept an eye on their p-partners, sent us on e-easier missions. But, had that not happened, we wo-wouldn't have learned a thing. We wouldn't have l-learned the terrible truth that this j-job comes with the overwhelmingly high ch-chance of losing our lives. E-every time we see each other m-might just be our last. But I want y-y-you all to know that we carry on with our l-lives. It's what we d-do."

"No… no… nonononono…" was all Cassie could say in response.

_Hey, Nightwing… do you think Donna***** would be proud?_

"I a-agree that we don't k-know each other that well, La'gann, but to be h-h-honest, you never did seem that i-in-interested in ever g-getting to know anyone. No offense, but you're k-k-kinda harsh. Not that it matters, considering that I have f-friends who are way h-harsher than you and we're about as close as we can be. I d-d-don't think anyone r-really knew what went t-th-through my head as I thought about this plan. I d-don't really know. Whatever it was, it was mostly s-successful. And, La'gann… I was a-already wishing I was d-dead throughout the entire time this p-plan went on."

La'gann made no response.

_Not only did it endanger M'gann, but it also put Kaldur into a catatonic state until she was able to do something about it!_

"Jaime, w-we didn't know that Green Beetle was a b-ba-bad guy until it was too late. Had I l-let M'gann in on the s-secret, she would've delved d-d-deeper into his mind and find out who he really w-worked with. Don't blame yourself for that. As… as for having that second voice in y-your head, I wouldn't s-say that I k-know how it f-feels… but you've s-seen my mind w-with your own eyes, so I-I'll leave that for you to decide. I've l-learned not to judge anyone by their p-past, or if they talk to th-themselves, or in this case, y-your Scarab. I go by how they a-act and w-what they choose to say. Un-unfortunately, the S-scarab is right… s-sorry I can't p-prove it w-wrong."

"Esto no puede estar pasando." Jaime said.

_Regardless, you didn't judge me for it, which didn't make me feel like a freak… so… thanks for that._

"B-Bart, you can't b-blame yourself for this. Y-you couldn't help that I went o-off to fight Vandal on my own. You co-couldn't help that you were stuck fighting his un-underlings. The kid you talked about m-m-may or may not still be there… we c-c-can't say for certain. For all w-we know, he m-might still form the Titans… he'll j-just be a bit sloppier. I d-don't need to be a-alive to know that t-there will be heroes in the f-future. As long as the r-rest of you c-c-carry on, everything w-will be fine."

"You have a point." Bart said, "But this doesn't mean that we want you to leave us."

_When I was little, before I became a slave, my mom used to tell me stories about you. She told me about this team, and their fight against the Reach… and most of you died trying. You weren't one of them that died then and there… before you died only a few months later, you trained a kid. When you were killed, he formed the resistance, called the Titans._

"B-Batman, I doubt I w-would've even been a-able to hold on any l-longer than this without your training. I-if it hadn't been for y-you, I wouldn't be h-h-here as it is. I'd likely be with the T-Talons a-and the Court of Owls, killing off everyone that I-I despised, and m-maybe those I c-care about now. T-t-the decisions I m-made were ones I w-would otherwise avoid, but I k-kn-know that it was for the b-best… even though it h-h-hurt to do this. I wanted to s-stop the Light and the Reach, but t-t-there was no other w-way to do it. I thought a-ab-about going in with Kaldur, b-but… I didn't. But I… I d-don't regret it. Not when it s-saved so many lives."

"Nightwing, you don't have to explain to me and you know it." Batman said, trying his hardest to remain calm. "I wasn't here, so I've no right to question you about your decisions. I lost that right when you stopped being Robin."

_You've made a name for yourself… I'm proud of you, Dick. You'll make a great leader for the team._

Nightwing smiled slightly. "I guess you did." Nightwing's attention is now on Billy.

"I'm n-not that strong, Billy. I d-don't need to be a d-d-detective to know that. I just ch-chose to do what I h-had to do. Half the time, that s-strength was l-luck. F-fate seems to want me to d-die, and L-lady Luck wants to help just a l-li-little. I can't c-c-count the number of times I-I've fallen off a building and w-w-wasn't able to recover midair, and I'd c-come out of it with a broken arm or have every b-bone in my leg fractured. This time, I guess Lady L-l-luck decided I had e-enough help, and I won't be m-making it out of this one alive."

"No way, dude." Billy said, "You make your own luck! You have to get it together!"

_I always thought you Bats were immortal._

"Not this time, B-Billy…" Nightwing said, "I have a knack for m-making my own luck, yeah… but it's usually the b-b-bad kind.

"Raquel, y-you're more of an older s-s-sister to me now that we're not t-to-together anymore. Looking back, it seems a bit a-awkward, doesn't it? I guess so. But I don't know if l-l-leaving an impression on someone could be con-considered a power… I just thought t-t-the fact I'm s-still friends with my exes was it. But that's not im-important. I'm sorry, for not t-telling you or anyone about the plan."

"Nightwing, please… it's okay. I know that you did what you had to…" Raquel couldn't finish, as she started to cry.

_We love you, you know that, right?_

"Wonder Woman, y-you're the c-closest thing I have to a m-m-mother… you have b-been since I lost my p-parents. You've been th-there through the good and the bad, like Batman has. Thank you for that. I d-don't know what I would've d-done if you weren't there for s-s-some of the crap I went through. I d-d-doubt I would've been able to deal with the is-issues of balancing school and being a hero. Thank you."

Wonder Woman finds it hard to make any sort of response. She just walks over to the teen and hugs him.

_Richard, life can be cruel, just as it can be kind. It's the same way for everyone, both good and bad. I suppose this is why life is considered so unfair._

"S-superman, I'm well a-aware that Vandal was m-m-most likely looking for revenge. I was th-thinking that he was going to turn us a-against each other, like he had Sportsmaster t-t-try to do before. I'm sure the l-last thing we expected was for th-this to happen. I doubt I was h-his target. I may be- no, have been- the team's l-leader, but this doesn't m-m-mean that he wanted to take me out. I a-ac-actually think it's a bonus- the t-team loses th-their leader, and the t-t-team goes into chaos. I d-d-don't know for sure, but that s-seems to me to be a reasonable hypothesis. As l-l-long as you and the rest of the League help the team, though, they should be fine. After all, y-you're their mentors for a reason."

The man of steel nodded. The former boy wonder had a point. "You're right… but they do need you here."

_You actually taught Conner tricks for keeping cool in battle? I'm impressed, Nightwing._

"F-Flash, I remember p-pulling a particular prank on B-Batman, of all people, and you helped. We c-c-came so close to g-getting away with it… well, h-he's not the world's greatest detective for nothing, right? And I a-agree, you weren't the best influence, but what can I say… all work and n-no play makes for a very dull R-Robin, right? As we all know, a dull R-Robin won't balance out the creepiness of the Batman- no o-offence, Batman. But I d-disagree about one thing. The League can still t-train and s-s-support their protégés and partners."

"Nightwing, that's true… but like Superman said, the team needs you. We might be there for them, but it won't be the same." Flash said.

_He's on to us! Run for it!_

"Roy, it's not your f-fault for not being there. Really, it wasn't your p-p-problem. There's nothing you could've done, an-anyway. Life still goes on. For ex-example, after you found out you were a c-cl-clone, you spent most of your time w-worrying about Speedy, but your life still continued. As for y-your daughter, I didn't actually k-know you had one- I suspected it, but never knew- until Jade had asked Artemis to b-babysit and she e-ended up sending me a bunch of pictures. I wish I h-had the chance to a-actually get to know her, but I won't g-g-get that chance."

"Unfortunately." Roy said, voice trembling slightly.

_Funny… we have a lot more in common than I thought, Robin._

"And Roy… I s-swear to god, if you tell anyone a-about that, I will come back to h-haunt you. Y-you know what I'm t-talking about." Nightwing said, before turning to Oliver.

"At s-some point, Green Arrow, we all f-f-find this out the hard way. It was t-this way for me when the second R-Robin died, for Kaldur w-w-when Tula died, and f-f-for the League when Ted died. But this pain we feel lets us know that we're a-alive, that we're human- or in some c-cases, Martian, Kryptonian, and Atlantian. It's s-something that c-c-can't be avoided, no matter how hard w-we try. And, unfortunately, we j-just can't go back to the p-past."

Green Arrow found it difficult to think of anything to say in return. He just stayed silent.

_I think I get it now… he's not here just because he wanted to help. You took in a partner so he wouldn't be like you, right, Bats?_

Nightwing coughs once, twice, three times. His breathing becomes ragged. Nightwing reaches over to the nightstand next to his bed, which has a clean costume folded neatly and his utility belt resting on top. He takes the utility belt and removes something from the pouch.

Nightwing handed the object- a small, black flash drive- to Robin. "This is… t-this is my w-will. M-make sure the t-t-team watches it, okay?"

Robin nodded. He gave his older brother one final hug.

"G-guys… keep moving forward******." Nightwing whispered. His breathing ceased. Nightwing's heart monitor flat lined.

He was gone.

Zatanna leaned down to give him one final kiss.

* * *

_**Just a little insight won't make this right  
It's too late to fight  
It ends tonight,  
It ends tonight.**_

* * *

**A/N: *Cassie is referring to Donna Troy, who was Wonder Girl before her. Donna isn't in the YJ universe (that, or she hasn't been mentioned just yet), but she's one of my favorite comic characters. **

****_"Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."_  
–Walt Disney**

**Remember: This is the OFFICIAL end to the story, but there is STILL one more chapter, which is the alternate ending. THIS CHAPTER WILL BE CONTINUED IN "HEAD LIKE A HOLE!"**


	11. Alternate Ending- I Don't Want to Die

**A/N: PLEASE READ THIS A/N BEFORE YOU EVEN READ THIS ALTERNATE ENDING!**

**Guys... please, don't ask questions that you can find the answer to in any A/N. I try not to delete reviews unless they're incredibly rude, so please, don't ask questions that will bug me to death. If I recieve another question about the reading of Nightwing's will or a statement about this chapter NOT making sense, your review will be deleted if you're a guest, or I will be a smartass and tell you to look in the A/N.**

**Sorry if I sounded rude, but I HAD to get it off my chest.**

**Anyway, this is the alternate ending... and since I just CAN'T say no to Lakeshine, I will be doing a two or three, maybe even a four-shot sequel for this ending. It WILL NOT be considered a part in the "It Ends Tonight" trilogy... I mean, really, there's nothing cooler than doing a trilogy (unless you pull a J. K. R. and make not only a seven-part series, but ALSO a spin-off, then you're pretty awesome.), but I guess a trilogy plau a kinda-sorta spin-off isn't too bad...**

* * *

**Alternate Ending- I [Don't] Want to Die**

_**Tonight  
Insight**_

* * *

When the team arrived in Nightwing's room, relief could practically be sensed in the air.

Nightwing no longer had a tube down his throat or tubes up his nose. They had been replaced by an oxygen mask. The team's leader smiled wearily at them when he noticed they were there.

"Hey guys." He mumbled sleepily.

"Nightwing… oh my god, you're okay." Zatanna said. She ran over to him and hugged him gently, "You scared us! We thought you were going to die!"

"Hey, I'm fine now, aren't I?" Nightwing said as he ran a hand through her long black hair, "It could've been worse, y'know."

"Yeah… yeah, it could've." She said.

"Oh, and, Zee?"

"Yes?"

Nightwing had removed the oxygen mask and kissed Zatanna on the lips.

"I love you, too." He said as he pulled away.

Zatanna moved over a little as Robin came over to hug his older brother. Robin buried his face into Nightwing's shoulder. He mumbled something, but it had been muffled, so nobody heard what he had said.

"Say that again, Rob?" Nightwing asked as he rubbed soothing circles onto his baby brother's back.

"He said that he didn't think you would make it… that you were going to leave him." Conner said.

Nightwing tightened his grip on Robin slightly. "Rob, you know I wouldn't leave you… at least, not willingly. They'd have to take me away kicking and screaming in order for that to happen."

Robin smiled up at his older brother.

"Hey, guys… could Wally and I have a minute alone?" Nightwing asked.

The team and the members of the League that had come along left the room. Batman glanced back at his son for a second and finally left the room.

Once they were alone Nightwing removed his mask, becoming Dick Grayson.

Wally said, "Dick, I-"

Dick cut him off, "Wally, I'm sorry."

Wally seemed surprised at his friend's sudden apology… so much so, he couldn't really form any words.

"I shouldn't have had Artemis do that… I shouldn't have even bothered to ask. But I… I couldn't think of anyone other than myself or Artemis that could have done it. Kaldur brought up the fact that the team still needed me, so I said I'd only do it if I had to. Artemis was the first one I thought of and-"

"Dick, stop!" Wally said, gripping his friend's shoulders, "Look, I'm sorry for making you feel like it was all your fault. I guess I was just… I was upset that you wanted us to go through with this when we left the life behind… but I guess there's no way out, at least, not a permanent way out. Your crazy plan showed Artemis that she missed the life… and that scared me. But, when I helped Bart and Barry with Neutron… it made me miss it, too. I didn't want to admit it, but I missed chasing after the bad guys and that feeling I get when I take out a rogue. But… now I'm getting slower… I don't think I'll be of any use to you guys, especially now that you have Bart."

"Wally, you're being an idiot." Dick said, rolling his ocean blue eyes, "We don't care if you have powers or not. We don't care if you're getting slower. What matters is that you're willing to be a team player. I mean, look at Conner- he's got only half the abilities Superman has, and once upon a time, he let his anger take control. Look at him now- well, okay, _sometimes_ he lets his anger take over, but it's nowhere near as often as it was back then. And there are plenty of us that don't have powers, and yet, here we are, fighting alongside metahumans, Martians, Kryptonians, Martian-Human hybrids, Demigods, and Atlantians, just to name a few. Remember, this is coming from a guy who **should** be **hopeless**, probably **suicidal**, and had just managed to live even after the closest thing to a family he had was told he had a ten percent chance of living.

"What I'm trying to say, Wally, is that there's always a place on the team for you, for Artemis, for anyone… except for Arsenal, because I'm pretty sure he's yet to learn how to be a team player."

Wally smiled at his best friend, "Thanks, Dick. Look, I'm sorry for every time I screwed you over. I know that ever since I started going out with Artemis, I haven't been a very good best friend. I made promises I couldn't keep, and I haven't been there for you, **especially **on the anniversary of your parent's deaths. All this time, I've been blaming you, while I ignored the fact that I've been an asshole. I'm sorry, dude… I don't blame you if you don't forgive me."

Dick chuckled, "Dude, after what I put you and Artemis through, I think forgiving you could barely be considered the least I could do."

"I'll say. When you're up to it, you owe me and Artemis lunch."

Dick sighed, "Fair enough. I suppose spending a few hundred for lunch will make it up."

"Hey, I don't eat that much!"

"Sure you don't." Dick said, putting his mask back on.

"Y'know, if you weren't injured, I'd hurt you." Wally said jokingly.

The two of them laughed. How long has it been since they ever felt like _this_? Neither of them knew, nor did they really care.

They were just happy that they were best friends again.

* * *

Batman walked into his son's room a little while later to check on him. He found Nightwing fast asleep, as though nothing happened. He pulled his cowl down, becoming Bruce Wayne.

Bruce ran a hand through his son's soft black hair. To think, he was so close to losing one of the people in his life that mattered most to him. He sure didn't feel like burying another partner… another son.

"You scared us, you know that?" he asked. The Dark Knight received no response, but it didn't worry him now that he knew his son was alive and breathing.

"I wasn't sure that you'd make it out of this one, Dick. But, as always, you haven't ceased to amaze me."

Bruce glanced over to the clock, noting the time. "I've got to go. I'm sure Tim and Barbara want to stay here while I patrol Gotham, and I don't blame them. Hopefully, the criminals in Gotham will be smarter than usual and just give up… I'm not in the mood to chase them. They should know when I'm in a bad mood."

Bruce pulled the blankets over his son's shoulders, hiding the bandages that covered Dick's chest.

"I love you, son."

Bruce pulled the cowl back up, once again becoming Batman. Just before he opened the door, he heard Dick say, "I love you, too, Bruce."

Batman smiled. He knew everything would be okay.

* * *

A few days later, Dick, Artemis, and Wally, along with Conner, M'gann, Zatanna, Rocket, and Kaldur, were at the pizzeria they'd go to after a mission of great importance that actually went over correctly. Originally, Dick had planned to take Artemis and Wally, but decided to invite the remaining members of the original team. When Dick said he was paying for everything, everyone questioned him, asking if they should help. Dick simply said that he owed Wally lunch and that it'd be fine.

"How's your wound, Dick?" M'gann asked.

"It's fine, just a little sore." Dick said, "Bruce is keeping me off duty for two months, **at least**. He said I can't participate in any missions or patrol the 'Haven without back-up… but I'll play ops manager from the base or at the Watchtower, because outside of being Nightwing, the Dark Knight of Bludhaven, and Dick Grayson, college freshmen, I really don't have much to do."

"Have you considered getting a pet or something?" Wally asked, "I mean, I'm sure Conner could find another stray or something for you."

"I've thought about it… it does get kinda lonely there."

"It won't be for a while, though." Zatanna cut in, "I'm staying with him to make sure he recovers… and Bruce wanted me to make sure he didn't even try to escape."

"What can I say?" Dick laughed, "I love a girl that takes charge."

"Dog." Wally said.

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that!"

"Oh, really?" Conner asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"Okay, maybe I meant it in _that_ way just a little bit."

"My beau, the king of trolls." Zatanna giggled.

Dick smiled, throwing an arm around his girlfriend, "For the record, she's the only on that can call me that. By the way, if you're dating an ex-girlfriend, would she be your ex-ex-girlfriend?"

"Dick- ah, there's no point in talking about this." Wally sighed.

The team laughs a laugh that hadn't been heard in over five years.

* * *

_**When darkness turns to light,  
It ends tonight.**_

* * *

**A/N: Stay tuned for "Head Like a Hole," the sequel for this ending that has yet to be named, "Where's My Wonderland," "Stay Young, Go Dancing," and future fics to come.**

**Thanks to everyone that read and reviewed this story. You guys are the reason that this story was finished within a month and a half rather than almost a year. Special thanks to Lakeshine for the suggestions and everyone that reviwewd every/almost every chapter... you guys are awesome!**

**~FoREVer Nightwing**


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